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

Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Battle Nation’s Stillbirth Crisis

After legislation fell short of passage last year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers hope to advance a new bill to fund stillbirth prevention, and they credit ProPublica for its reporting.

by Duaa Eldeib

Los Angeles Housing Department Will Investigate Residential Hotels

Following a Capital & Main and ProPublica investigation, which found that buildings meant for housing are instead being rented to tourists, the mayor’s office asked for a review.

by Robin Urevich, Capital & Main, and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica

Senators Ask Billionaire Paul Singer and Power Broker Leonard Leo for Full Accounting of Gifts to Supreme Court Justices

The letters cite ProPublica’s reporting on an undisclosed private jet flight and Alaska fishing vacation provided to Justice Samuel Alito.

by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski

Senators Call for Further Oversight, Consumer Protections in Contract for Deed Real Estate Transactions

Following a ProPublica-Sahan Journal report on fast-tracked home financing deals that left Somali families in Minnesota financially devastated, federal lawmakers met to discuss what could be done to shield buyers.

by Jessica Lussenhop

Right-Wing Websites Connected to Former Trump Lawyer Are Scamming Loyal Followers With Phony Celebrity Pitches

A mysterious network called AdStyle is placing ads with fake endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk on conservative sites based in the U.S. and abroad.

by Craig Silverman

Judge Rules Texas DPS Must Release Withheld Documents Related to the Uvalde School Shooting

The ruling marks the first step toward disclosing the extensive collection of police documents, though the state agency could choose to fight the ruling by appealing the decision.

by Lexi Churchill, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, and William Melhado, The Texas Tribune

Illinois Officials Will Try a Second Time to Make Good on Pledge to Reform Student Ticketing

Despite legislative setbacks, state leaders and Gov. J.B. Pritzker say they remain committed to stopping schools from continuing to use police to punish students.

by Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards

“We Buy Ugly Houses” CEO Steps Down Following ProPublica Investigation

David Hicks, CEO of HomeVestors of America, said in a letter announcing his retirement that recent press coverage of the company’s homebuying practices has taken a “personal toll on me.”

by Anjeanette Damon and Byard Duncan

The Group That Governs U.S. Transplant Policies Voted to Require Testing of At-Risk Organ Donors for Chagas Disease

Bob Naedele died in 2018 after receiving a heart infected with the parasite that causes Chagas disease. The change in U.S. screening policy could prevent such deaths in the future.

by Caroline Chen

Baker College Faces Federal Investigation Over “Recruitment and Marketing Practices”

ProPublica and the Detroit Free Press found that Baker College spent more on marketing than it did on financial aid. Now, the school faces an inquiry by the U.S. Department of Education.

by Anna Clark

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

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