ProPublica was founded in 2007 by Paul Steiger, the former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, along with philanthropists Herbert and Marion Sandler. The idea behind ProPublica was to create an independent, non-profit newsroom that would produce investigative journalism in the public interest. Steiger and the Sandlers recognized the decline in investigative reporting due to financial pressures on traditional media and sought to fill this gap. Today, ProPublica operates as an independent, non-profit organization, supported by donations and grants, with no single owner. Based in New York City, ProPublica focuses on producing investigative journalism on a wide range of topics including politics, business, healthcare, criminal justice, the environment, and technology. Their reporting often tackles issues of corruption, abuse of power, and systemic failures in both the public and private sectors. While their primary focus is on stories with moral force and potential for real-world impact, they cover national issues and sometimes collaborate with local newsrooms for regional investigations. ProPublica's work is often published in partnership with other major news outlets to maximize its reach and impact. One interesting fact: ProPublica pioneered a unique model of “collaborative journalism“ by freely sharing their stories and data with other news organizations. This approach, which they call “stealing our stories,“ allows other media outlets to republish ProPublica's work with proper attribution, greatly expanding the reach and impact of their investigations. This model has since been adopted by other non-profit news organizations and has significantly influenced the landscape of investigative journalism.