Impact

Journalism in the Public Interest

Impact has been at the core of ProPublica’s mission since we launched in 2008, and it remains the principal yardstick for our success today. Our investigative journalism does more than expose wrongdoing and injustice; we intend for it to spark real-world change.

We’ve written a whole white paper on the topic, and examples of how our stories have produced such change — from the resignation of corrupt officials to the passage of new laws — are compiled in our annual reports. On this page, you’ll find our reporting on the impact of our work.

Featured Impact

Intuit Will Pay Millions to Customers Tricked Into Paying for TurboTax

State attorneys general just reached a $141 million settlement with the Silicon Valley juggernaut. Victims will receive up to $90 each.

by Justin Elliott

Dozens of Museums and Universities Pledge to Return Native American Remains. Few Have Funded the Effort.

Reporting from nearly 50 local newsrooms, based on ProPublica’s “Repatriation Project,” has sparked a wave of apologies and commitment to returning ancestral remains. But without funding for the work tribal nations could still face empty promises.

by Logan Jaffe, Mary Hudetz and Ash Ngu

Closing Critical Gun Background Check Loophole Gains Bipartisan Support in Texas

After a ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigation found courts failed to report juvenile mental health hospitalizations to the federal firearm background check system, lawmakers from both parties are backing bills to ensure compliance with the law.

by Jeremy Schwartz and Kiah Collier

Regulators Overhaul Inspections of Hospice Providers

A report last year from ProPublica and The New Yorker revealed a $22 billion hospice industry rife with fraud and exploitation. CMS announced reforms that go into effect immediately.

by Ava Kofman

More Impact

Senators, Regulator Call for More Scrutiny of “We Buy Ugly Houses” Company

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s head said the Department of Justice and state attorneys general should be made aware of predatory house-flipping practices, following ProPublica reporting on HomeVestors of America.

by Anjeanette Damon, Mollie Simon and Byard Duncan

Health Care Workers Who Cover Up Patient Abuse Face Stiffer Penalties Under New Illinois Law

The legislation, spurred by a news investigation, allows workers to be barred from health care jobs for obstructing investigations into staff misconduct. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill on Friday.

by Molly Parker, Lee Enterprises Midwest, and Beth Hundsdorfer, Capitol News Illinois

Texas Pulls Funding for Child ID Kits After Investigation Finds Little Evidence of Their Effectiveness

Lawmakers were slated to spend millions of taxpayer dollars for the kits but changed course after a series of revelations in a ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation.

by Jeremy Schwartz

Colorado Becomes the First State to Limit Court Use of Family Reunification Camps

A new bill restricts the use of reunification programs and requires domestic violence training for experts in custody cases. Lawmakers credit ProPublica’s reporting for exposing the need for reforms in the family court system.

by Hannah Dreyfus

The Federal Government Plans to Reform “Star” Workplace Safety Program That Reduced Inspections at Some Manufacturers

After ProPublica raised questions about the rigor of inspections at Star Program facilities that used asbestos but received limited unannounced OSHA visits, regulators are seeking input about how to reform it.

by Kathleen McGrory and Neil Bedi

Texas Legislature Closes Gun Background Check Loophole

State lawmakers passed a bill requiring courts to report involuntary mental health hospitalizations of juveniles for inclusion in the federal gun background check system. The law closes a gap revealed by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune in 2022.

by Jeremy Schwartz

The IRS Tiptoes Into Offering Free Online Tax Filing — and Possible Competition With TurboTax

In the wake of ProPublica’s reporting on the misleading tactics of the major tax-prep companies, Congress asked the IRS to examine whether it could offer free filing directly with the tax agency. A new pilot program will test the concept.

by Paul Kiel

Congressional Committee, Regulators Question Cigna System That Lets Its Doctors Deny Claims Without Reading Patient Files

The probes follow an investigation by ProPublica and The Capitol Forum that Cigna allows its doctors to reject hundreds of thousands of claims a month.

by Patrick Rucker, Maya Miller and David Armstrong

Minnesota Board of Nursing Executive Director Steps Down Amid Accusations of Mismanagement

The Minnesota Nursing Board was weighing terminating Executive Director Kimberly Miller, who had been criticized for a growing backlog of complaints against nurses.

by Emily Hopkins

Colorado Law Will Require Homes to Be More Wildfire Resistant

The state will develop building standards for homes in high-risk areas after ProPublica’s reporting showed previous efforts to require fire-resistant housing materials had been repeatedly stymied by developers and municipalities.

by Jennifer Oldham for ProPublica

The Met Will “More Thoroughly” Investigate Artwork Origins With Hire of Provenance Researchers

The museum announced this week that it will hire additional experts to look more deeply into the histories of works in its collections. The plans follow news reports and criminal investigations on the origins of some items.

by Kathleen Sharp for ProPublica

Library Official Resigns After Publication of Her Secretly Recorded Inflammatory Comments

Judy Eledge, deputy director of the Anchorage Public Library, is leaving her post after ProPublica and the Anchorage Daily News documented her history of offensive comments and social media posts about Native Alaskans and the LGBTQ+ community.

by Anchorage Daily News

States Prepare to Send Checks to Consumers Tricked Into Paying for TurboTax

A year after a $141 million settlement with Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, that emerged from an investigation sparked by ProPublica’s reporting, 4.4 million customers will receive compensation.

by Paul Kiel

Colorado Lawmakers Mandate Audit of Halfway Houses Following ProPublica Investigation

The facilities often lack adequate employment training and effective drug treatment while residents are burdened with debt. A lack of transparency, limiting lawmakers’ ability to gauge their effectiveness, has been a barrier to reform.

by Moe Clark for ProPublica

Blocked Crossings Crisis Draws Local and National Calls for Action

After seeing images of kids crawling under trains, regulators ask companies to address blocked crossings, lawmakers demand consequences, residents clamor for solutions and Norfolk Southern’s CEO calls a mayor to work out a fix.

by Topher Sanders and Dan Schwartz

Washington State Legislature Strengthens Oversight of Private Special Education Schools

In response to a Seattle Times and ProPublica series, the state is getting more power to regulate schools for students with disabilities.

by Lulu Ramadan and Mike Reicher, The Seattle Times

Senate Committee Probes Top Universities, Museums Over Failures to Repatriate Human Remains

U.S. senators want five institutions to explain why they continue to hold thousands of Native American remains and belongings, following reporting from ProPublica and NBC News. “It’s immoral, it’s hypocritical, and it has to stop,” one senator said.

by Mary Hudetz, ProPublica, and Graham Lee Brewer, NBC News

Another Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Punching Handcuffed Man

The conviction is the latest development in the extensive fallout from an investigation into the criminal justice system in Elkhart, Indiana, by ProPublica and the South Bend Tribune.

by Ken Armstrong

EPA Proposes Major Air Pollution Reforms to Lower Residents’ Cancer Risk Near Industrial Facilities

The EPA has proposed tougher air pollution rules for chemical plants and other industrial facilities after ProPublica found an estimated 74 million Americans near those sites faced an elevated risk of cancer.

by Lisa Song, Kiah Collier and Maya Miller

Ethics Watchdog Urges Justice Department Investigation Into Clarence Thomas’ Trips

In pushing to kick-start an inquiry into Thomas’ lavish travel provided by a GOP megadonor, the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center wrote that the ethics issue has “historic implications far beyond one Supreme Court justice.”

by Brett Murphy

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