Index Links
As the nonprofit news field rapidly changes and grows, INN tracks and studies what’s happening behind the scenes. Index data indicates what drives nonprofit news, how it’s funded, who it serves, and how we can continue expanding sources of high-quality information for the public.
The Institute for Nonprofit News has conducted this annual Index survey of its member news organizations since 2018, capturing performance in 2017. Those organizations act as a research consortium by sharing their business and editorial statistics to help each other benchmark their own development. This practice also helps INN and experts in the field evaluate and better understand new media business models, staffing needs and editorial focus of newsrooms as they form.
Please contact INN’s communications team with any questions or press inquiries.
INN’s most recent Index Report highlights audience trends and tactics across the nonprofit news sector.
The comprehensive INN Index dataset spans 400+ nonprofit news outlets’ revenue, staffing, expenses, audience and distribution data over seven years. Academics, media reporters and funders leverage this high-quality data for their research, impact assessments and stories about nonprofit news.
Through INN’s Ask the Index service, you can request access to Index data and get support from our research team in using the findings in your work. Services include compiling INN Index data for your grantees, analyzing data and writing memos and producing special reports.
INN provides actionable research on nonprofit journalism for our members, partners and the wider field. Our research captures the progress and setbacks across the nonprofit news field and highlights the best practices and success stories that emerge from our members.
Understanding life in the long tail is really important as news ecosystems redefine themselves in the digital age. The Index was an important springboard for us to evaluate the UK landscape for independent news, to further understand the complex parameters of sustainable journalism. The opportunities for comparative international research are rare.
— Clare Cook
Public Interest News Foundation
Understanding life in the long tail is really important as news ecosystems redefine themselves in the digital age. The Index was an important springboard for us to evaluate the UK landscape for independent news, to further understand the complex parameters of sustainable journalism. The opportunities for comparative international research are rare.
— Josh Stearns
Democracy Fund
We are trying to rebuild America’s access to the local news and information that communities and our democracy rely on, and the INN Index is a vital tool to understand this emerging sector. The Index helps us listen to the nonprofit news field and ensure our strategies and grantmaking are making a positive impact.
— Courtney Hurtt
Newsmatch
As a nonprofit newsroom, we have long tracked how our work resonates with readers. The Index Report provides us with a critical tool to compare our organization to similarly situated news outlets. This kind of evaluation allows us to have meaningful conversations and set realistic goals as we continue to grow our newsroom.
— Nicole Dobo
The Hechinger Report
Know what’s new in nonprofit news.
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