ProPublica launches Reporting Network with 'Adopt a Stimulus'

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ProPublica's new open-to-all citizen journalism venture, the ProPublica Reporting Network , launched this week, with an aim to track US government stimulus construction projects.

Network members will participate by gathering information, pursuing leads and hunting for sources, a release from the non-profit investigative organisation said.

For the first assignment, 'Adopt a Stimulus' , members will track road or bridge reconstruction projects funded by the stimulus plan and gather specific information about their progress.

"This is precisely the kind of nitty-gritty investigative work that will reveal some surprising facts, but takes time and patience to do well," said ProPublica's Amanda Michel, who formerly led Huffington Post's OffTheBus project and will head the new network, in the release.

"In the process of working with our network members, we'll take investigative journalism into a new collaborative sphere and help the American people determine where the stimulus program is succeeding and where it's falling short.

"There is a lot of worth in digging through stuff, rather than having stuff handed to you on a golden platter by an insider," said ProPublica's senior editor, Eric Umansky, when Journalism.co.uk visited the organisation in April this year.

While sifting through data can seem 'more mundane' than meeting with a whistleblower, ProPublica has uncovered 'deep truths' using CAR and by being diligent in its approach, Umansky added.