NECIR’s core mission is to arm citizens with information needed to fully participate in the democratic process. In addition, we hold the powerful – including major institutions, officials and policy makers – accountable to the public. A major priority of our work is to serve the public interest by exposing social injustice, abuse of power and governmental and institutional waste, fraud and mismanagement. NECIR accomplishes this by providing time-intensive, resource-rich, high-impact investigative journalism that deeply examines public issues affecting every citizen. Our topic areas include but are not limited to education, public health and safety, the economy, money in politics, criminal justice and the environment. NECIR also serves as a powerful public watchdog by carefully scrutinizing the actions and motives of public officials, elected and civic leaders, institutions, corporations and policy makers. Our goal is to use the tools of journalism to strengthen democracy by revealing injustice and the abuse of power and to bring about needed changes in laws, regulations, and in the operations of government, corporations, and institutions.

NECIR distributes its projects to the broadest possible audience with a coordinated, multimedia, multi-platform distribution using a variety of storytelling styles afforded by new technologies.

We not only produce investigative projects but are also a place for our listeners, viewers and readers to discuss our stories, submit ideas for investigative reports and peruse the records, video and data we used to produce our work. NECIR also serves as an aggregator for the best investigative stories in the six New England states to enhance recognition of the investigative and enterprise work being done across the region.

NECIR also plays a major role in educating journalists. The diverse teams of Boston University students working with us receive hands-on training in investigative reporting. That training is supplemented with in-class learning provided by Professors Dick Lehr and Mitch Zuckoff, both former Boston Globe Spotlight Team reporters. Our high school interns also have a unique opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts of investigative journalism.

In addition, our Center offers advice and assistance to journalists working for our media partners. Our goal is to help generate more investigative reporting in the newsrooms of each of our partners, essentially boosting the quality and quantity of investigative and enterprise reporting throughout New England.

Through our partnerships with ethnic publications, NECIR identifies subject areas ripe for investigation. We work on joint investigations with reporters and editors at these outlets as well as assist them in pursuing investigations on their own, thus extending both our reach and theirs.

At a time when news consumers are turning to the web for their information, NECIR believes that the survival of investigative reporting is dependent on coming up with new and creative ways to present and deliver long-form content to an online audience. Boston University, with its media experts and thousands of students, provides the perfect setting for us to experiment with how to more effectively deliver investigative content online. We consider this an important piece of our mission.

Overall, we believe that NECIR is a model for the creation of other university-based investigative reporting collaboratives.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION

During these challenging times, the Boston University College of Communication believes that the role of a journalism program goes beyond discussing and studying the major challenges facing our profession and includes creatively addressing them. Just as medical schools serve the dual purpose of training physicians and serving the health needs of patients, Boston University’s journalism program will train reporters and serve the community by generating in-depth investigative reporting.

Boston University is strongly committed to the mission of NECIR. Both Joe Bergantino and Maggie Mulvilhill are Clinical Professors of Journalism in the College. Professors Dick Lehr and Mitch Zuckoff devote a portion of their time to the Center’s work and assist with the supervision of BU students working with NECIR as reporter-trainees. Tom Fiedler, Dean of the College of Communication and Lou Ureneck, chairman of the Journalism Department, also provide guidance and oversight.

The university, specifically the College of Communication, makes a substantial contribution of resources to the Center by providing office space and utilities; internet access and office furniture, equipment and supplies. In addition, the College provides postage, document handling, printing/copying as well as fundraising and marketing assistance. NECIR’s staff has access to BU’s library facilities and to university information online databases including Lexis/Nexis.

WHO FUNDS US?

In addition to the substantial contributions from Boston University, NECIR is funded by a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, financial and in-kind contributions from our media partners and from individual donors.

Foundations

The Knight Foundation one-year grant is $250,000. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of communities in the United States where the Knight brothers once owned newspapers. Knight Foundation invests in ideas and projects that can lead to transformational change.

Media Partners

New England Cable News’s in-kind contributions include an investigative producer three days a week, a videographer and editor when needed, studio and post-production time as well as marketing assistance.

WBUR-FM’s contribution includes an initial first-year financial commitment as well as several in-kind services: managerial oversight, producer/director/field technician time, edit and studio facilities and web promotion.

The Boston Globe is committed to assigning a reporter to work with NECIR as it deems necessary, providing managerial oversight by its City Editor and desk editors, web promotion and pre-publication legal review of NECIR content.

NECIR has placed a $250,000 value on the combined contributions of our media partners.

Individuals

NECIR accepts contributions from individuals and, to date, has received almost $30,000 in pledges or actual contributions.