With newsroom cuts adversely affecting investigative teams throughout the country, journalists who value this important work are looking for new avenues to fund and house their projects.

Foundations, philanthropists, and universities recognize the critical watchdog role that investigative journalism has in any robust democracy, and are more and more providing the support that traditional media outlets are not.

The Pearl Project has been blessed by the support of both a foundation and a university, The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation and Georgetown University. Without their generous support, guidance, and encouragement, our project would have remained just an unrealized dream.

Throughout the country similar projects are cropping up, and as other universities and non-profit entities support and maintain these projects, we thought it would be useful to form a consortium through which we could organize a community of like-minded individuals at other universities. This consortium will be a place, though only virtual at first, where we can come together to talk about what we're doing, to brainstorm about particular challenges of various natures--creative, legal, ethical or practical. Over time we will meet in person, for panels, coffee, brainstorming sessions and to celebrate the publication of our work and the accomplishments of our students.

If you're interested in joining, please send us an email at pearlproject@georgetown.edu and Asra Nomani or I will write back. You can read news about the consortium in our electronic newsletter as well, so please sign up for that when you have a moment.

Thanks for visiting the Pearl Project website and for your interest in our work.

Best wishes,
Barbara Feinman Todd