Institute for Public Service Reporting

We are a professionally staffed newsroom dedicated to producing robust, independent investigative reporting and in-depth explanatory journalism that fills a void in Memphis where legacy media has scaled back or eliminated essential coverage of key community issues. While filling this void, we also provide hands-on training to university students who will become our community's next generation of journalists.

Here at the Institute, we believe quality local journalism is among the highest forms of public service. By raising the value of information presented to Memphis, the Institute will foster community engagement with stories about the nature and underlying causes of challenges facing Memphis.

In the News

The Institute for Public Service Reporting was founded in July 2018, and already we are making an impact. We have produced major investigative news projects on a variety of topics:

Memphis' Reading Test: A three-part series explored the third-grade reading gap in Memphis — The series was widely read and inspired the Urban Child Institute to convene an Early Literacy Summit with leaders of local education, healthcare, social service and nonprofit organizations, including many used as sources in the series. The monthly meetings will continue as they seek to find ways to collaborate and coordinate to address the problem.   A Reluctance to Record: A series of in-depth reports last fall examined the Memphis Police Department's long reluctance to video- or audio-record custodial interrogations of homicide suspects — Since our initial report came out, MPD says it plans to begin recording but needs to raise millions of dollars first for video production and storage.




Power Broker: Our in-depth report on billionaire developer Franklin Haney helped authorities size up his ambitious plans to purchase a nuclear power plant and sell its electricity at discount rates to Memphis. We revealed that Haney's association with President Donald Trump through Florida's exclusive Mar-A-Lago resort led him to hire Trump's personal lawyer, the now-convicted Michael Cohen, to pursue financing for his proposed purchase of the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant and how that deal then landed Haney in the middle of a federal investigation. Since our report was published, several officials expressed a need to slow walk discussions with Haney; talks eventually fell apart. Portions of our reporting have been picked up by national media.