2021 BRASS Program - Follow The Money: Investigative News Sites to Follow

The American Prospect is a daily magazine published both in digital and print formats.   Founded in 1990, "The Prospect has been all about connecting dots—between the structural corruptions of capitalism, the deep analysis of how that operates politically, the narrative story of how regular people experience it, the related corruption of our democracy, and the movement politics of taking America back." according to one of its founders, Robert Kutner.  Currently, The Prospect's coverage leans towards Washington insider knowledge, including series like Cabinet Watch, which broke news of several of Joe Biden’s high-profile Cabinet appointments, and also corporate power's use of influence to keep wrong doings obscure from the public.

The Daily Poster is a daily newsletter founded and published by an investigative journalist, David Sirota, who has conducted award winning reporting for the International Business Times, The Guardian, and has served as a speechwriter on a national presidential campaign in 2020.  Sirota makes appearances on "Rising", a daily internet show on The Hill's platform and other investigative sites.   Daily Poster employs free lance reporters who have published articles in Newsweek, Jacobin, and The American Prospect, and two of its reporters, Andrew Perez and Julia Rock appear in the BRASS/RUSA on-demand video, sharing some clues on how nursing homes in Rhode Island was under-reporting COVID cases and its industry lobbying contributions were funneled into senior administration campaign coffers to influence legislation. 

The Daily Poster also has a digital publication, "A Citizen's Guide to Guide to Following the Money and Holding the Powerful Accountable" as part of its subscription series.   It is comprised of several short chapters which provide search tips on various free sites (state, local, and federal) , how to search for FOIA's in Muckrock, and tips on how to file FOIA requests: 

• How To Begin 
• How To File Public Records Requests 
• How To Contact Your Lawmakers 
• How To Scrutinize The Media 
• How To Follow The Money 
• How To Scrutinize Corporations And Nonprofits 
• Useful Websites and Databases 

ProPublica is an independent newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. We dig deep into important issues, shining a light on abuses of power and betrayals of public trust — and we stick with those issues as long as it takes to hold power to account.

With a team of more than 100 dedicated journalists, ProPublica covers a range of topics including government and politics, business, criminal justice, the environment, education, health care, immigration, and technology.  ProPublica is a nonprofit and does not accept commercial advertising to maintain its independence.