In the modern media environment, the word nonprofit is often treated as a synonym for trustworthy. This is a dangerous assumption. The idea is that, because an outlet isn’t chasing ad revenue in the traditional sense, it must be free from bias or ideological pressure. ProPublica has benefited greatly from that perception. Founded in 2007 with the mission of producing “investigative journalism in the public interest,” it quickly developed a reputation among mainstream journalists and progressive advocacy groups as a “gold standard” for in-depth reporting.
But whose public interest does ProPublica serve? That question gets to the heart of why it belongs in the Media Hall of Shame. In an age where “watchdog” journalism is as often aimed at ideological opponents as at the truth, ProPublica stands out for its selective scrutiny, its targeting of conservative causes, and its reluctance to dig deep into stories that might embarrass progressive allies.
Conservatives sometimes make the mistake of assuming that bias always comes in the form of outright falsehoods. But ProPublica’s technique is subtler — a careful curation of what gets investigated, what gets ignored, and how the framing directs the reader toward a particular conclusion. It’s a refined form of agenda-driven journalism, where the most important decisions are made before a single sentence is written: which stories are deemed worthy of investigation, and which are left untouched.
ProPublica is not owned in the traditional corporate sense. It operates as a nonprofit newsroom, originally bankrolled by billionaire couple Herbert and Marion Sandler, former heads of Golden West Financial. Their wealth — made in the mortgage industry — was controversial in its own right, as critics have accused them of practices that contributed to the subprime mortgage crisis. Nevertheless, the Sandlers used part of that fortune to create an investigative outlet reflecting their political leanings, which lean decidedly left.
Today, ProPublica draws funding from a mix of major progressive philanthropic organizations, smaller donors, and foundations tied to political activism. The Open Society Foundations of George Soros have been among those contributing to the nonprofit investigative ecosystem in which ProPublica thrives, though not always directly to ProPublica itself. Other prominent funders include the Ford Foundation, the Knight Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation — all of which have clear ideological track records favoring left-of-center causes.
The worldview embedded in ProPublica’s editorial culture mirrors that of its donor base: skeptical of free-market capitalism, highly attuned to identity-politics frameworks, deeply invested in government regulation, and generally favorable toward progressive policy prescriptions. Their investigative targets tend to be Republican politicians, conservative advocacy groups, industries vilified by the Left (oil, firearms, private healthcare), and any institutional structure that stands in the way of the progressive project.
Stated Mission vs. Actual Practice
ProPublica describes its mission as “exposing abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust by government, business, and other institutions.” On paper, that’s hard to criticize — who doesn’t want to hold the powerful accountable? But in practice, this mission is unevenly applied.
While ProPublica has certainly produced legitimate investigative work on issues like veterans’ healthcare or corporate malfeasance, its target selection often appears politically calculated. Republican-led state governments and conservative-leaning Supreme Court justices tend to draw sustained, multi-part series of scrutiny. By contrast, major scandals within progressive institutions — whether in public education, blue-state governance, or left-aligned nonprofits — are far more likely to be ignored or given only cursory coverage.
For example, ProPublica has poured resources into exposés targeting Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito over alleged ethics concerns, publishing repeated articles timed to coincide with political battles over the Court’s legitimacy. Yet similar concerns about progressive judicial figures receive far less investigative energy, if they’re covered at all. This selective watchdogging feeds the perception — and in my view, the reality — that ProPublica functions less like an impartial investigative agency and more like an opposition-research arm of the Left.
The Myth of Nonprofit Neutrality
In public discourse, “nonprofit” is often used as a rhetorical shield against accusations of bias. ProPublica benefits greatly from this — it doesn’t rely on advertising revenue, and therefore claims to be free from corporate influence. But that doesn’t mean it’s free from influence; it simply means the influence comes from a different direction.
Instead of pleasing advertisers, ProPublica must please donors. And large progressive foundations don’t part with millions of dollars unless they are confident the recipient shares their worldview and will pursue stories aligned with their priorities.
This reality creates a feedback loop: donor expectations shape editorial priorities, which in turn generate stories that reinforce the donors’ ideological goals, which then attract further funding from the same ideological network. This isn’t corruption in the classic quid-pro-quo sense — it’s structural bias, woven into the DNA of the organization. And because the influence is cultural and ideological rather than transactional, it can be more difficult to spot, making it all the more effective.
Typical Claims and Outlook
To understand ProPublica’s output, one must read not just the words but the underlying assumptions embedded in its work. While individual stories differ in subject matter, the editorial posture is strikingly consistent.
1. Government Is the Primary Solution to Societal Problems
ProPublica tends to approach policy debates with the default assumption that increased government oversight, regulation, or spending is the solution. Whether the topic is healthcare, climate change, or education, the coverage often frames the problem as resulting from insufficient government intervention rather than excessive bureaucracy or regulatory overreach.
2. Markets and Private Enterprise Are Viewed with Suspicion
Free-market mechanisms — whether in healthcare, energy, or housing — are treated as inherently exploitative unless tightly controlled. ProPublica’s stories on business often cast corporations as villains whose profits come at the expense of human well-being, without seriously engaging with counterarguments about efficiency, innovation, or consumer choice.
3. Identity Politics as an Analytical Lens
Race, gender, and sexuality often play a central role in ProPublica’s framing of stories, even when these categories are tangential to the subject. Structural racism, systemic sexism, and inequity are recurring explanatory frameworks, sometimes treated as axiomatic rather than hypotheses to be tested.
4. Conservative Figures and Institutions as Frequent Targets
While ProPublica occasionally publishes critical stories about Democrats or liberal causes, the ratio is lopsided. Republican governors, conservative Supreme Court justices, right-leaning nonprofits, and industries aligned with conservative policy goals (such as fossil fuels or firearms) are given sustained, investigative attention. The timing of these stories often coincides with political battles — suggesting strategic editorial decision-making.
Specific Incidents of Bias
A few high-profile examples illustrate the pattern:
A. The Clarence Thomas “Luxury Travel” Series
In 2023, ProPublica published a series of articles claiming Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose luxury travel and gifts from a wealthy friend. While disclosure rules are worth enforcing, ProPublica’s treatment of Thomas was unusually aggressive, implying corruption without proving any direct quid pro quo. The language and framing — along with the timing amid progressive calls to “reform” the Court — suggested a political motive. Notably, similar scrutiny was not applied to liberal justices with comparable relationships to ideological allies.
B. Selective COVID-19 Coverage
During the pandemic, ProPublica’s reporting on state responses disproportionately focused on Republican-led states’ missteps while downplaying failures in Democrat-controlled states like New York, where the nursing home death scandal under Governor Andrew Cuomo received far less investigative follow-up than similar tragedies in red states.
C. The Border and Immigration Enforcement Stories
ProPublica’s coverage of U.S. Border Patrol often emphasized allegations of abuse or mistreatment, citing anonymous sources and advocacy groups without equal weight given to law enforcement perspectives or the challenges posed by illegal immigration itself. Stories tended to frame enforcement as inherently suspect, while portraying progressive “abolish ICE” narratives as mainstream humanitarianism.
Neo-Marxist or Ideological Influence
ProPublica’s investigative framing is deeply influenced — whether consciously or not — by the assumptions of Neo-Marxist analysis. This influence can be seen in three recurring patterns:
1. Power Structures as the Root Problem
Like Neo-Marxist theory, ProPublica often treats societal inequities as products of oppressive power structures — be they political, economic, or cultural. These structures are assumed to favor “the privileged” (often defined by race, wealth, or political affiliation) at the expense of “the marginalized.”
2. Redistribution as an Implied Solution
The logical conclusion of many ProPublica stories is a call for redistribution — whether of wealth, political influence, or legal authority. This is rarely argued openly; instead, the reader is guided toward that conclusion by a combination of emotive case studies and one-sided data interpretation.
3. Alignment with Progressive Advocacy Networks
The overlap between ProPublica’s story topics and the priorities of progressive activist organizations is too consistent to be coincidence. Environmental justice groups, racial equity organizations, and left-leaning legal advocacy groups often feature prominently in ProPublica stories, not only as sources but as de facto partners in framing the issue.
This ideological tilt does not mean every fact reported is false; rather, it means the selection, emphasis, and interpretation of facts is shaped by a worldview that sees America primarily through the lens of systemic oppression and collective guilt. For readers who do not share those premises, ProPublica’s reporting can come across as less investigative journalism and more as narrative advocacy.
VIII. Most Ideologically Reflective Figures
While ProPublica is a nonprofit with many contributors, a few individuals stand out as emblematic of its editorial slant — either because of their own political leanings, the topics they consistently cover, or the framing they bring to stories.
1. Paul Steiger – Founding Editor-in-Chief
Paul Steiger, who helped launch ProPublica after a long career at The Wall Street Journal, brought with him an investigative tradition — but one that increasingly tilted toward narratives favored by the progressive establishment. While his WSJ years were more balanced, his stewardship of ProPublica was notable for aligning major projects with the priorities of its donor class.
2. Richard Tofel – Founding General Manager and President
Tofel has been open about ProPublica’s mission to focus on what he calls “public interest” journalism. While the term sounds neutral, in practice his interpretation of “public interest” overlapped heavily with left-leaning policy goals, including environmental activism, social justice frameworks, and expanded government oversight.
3. Alec MacGillis – Senior Reporter
MacGillis has written extensively on income inequality, labor issues, and Republican-led governance. His work often reflects skepticism toward free-market economics and is framed in ways that appeal to progressive readers seeking confirmation of their views about conservative governance.
4. Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan, and Alex Mierjeski – Supreme Court Ethics Series
These reporters were central to the high-profile campaign against Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito. Their reporting style reflects a common ProPublica approach: combine undisputed facts (such as travel records) with insinuations of improper influence, timed for maximum political impact.
These figures do not operate in a vacuum — they work within a newsroom culture that encourages a certain set of investigative targets and discourages others. The result is a self-reinforcing ideological orientation, regardless of whether each reporter personally identifies as an activist.
Scandals and Controversies
ProPublica’s own operations have occasionally come under scrutiny, though rarely in the same way they scrutinize others.
1. The Thomas and Alito Coverage Backlash
While celebrated in progressive circles, ProPublica’s sustained focus on conservative Supreme Court justices drew criticism for being one-sided and agenda-driven. Legal analysts across the spectrum noted that ProPublica did not apply the same intensity to potential conflicts involving liberal justices. Critics accused the outlet of functioning as a political tool rather than an impartial watchdog.
2. Questionable Sourcing Practices
Some ProPublica stories have leaned heavily on anonymous sources or activist organizations with clear agendas, without sufficiently balancing these accounts with independent verification or opposing perspectives. This undermines the investigative integrity they claim to uphold.
3. The Border Patrol Facebook Group Story
In 2019, ProPublica reported on a secret Facebook group where Border Patrol agents allegedly made offensive comments. While the story was factually based on screenshots, the coverage failed to contextualize how widespread such behavior was or whether disciplinary action was already underway, feeding a broader narrative of systemic corruption without sufficient evidence.
4. Accusations of “Lawfare” Journalism
Some conservative commentators have accused ProPublica of practicing a form of “lawfare journalism” — investigative work designed not merely to inform the public but to lay groundwork for political or legal attacks against ideological opponents.
These controversies reinforce the perception that ProPublica’s “public interest” mission is selectively applied, and that the organization’s work is best understood not as neutral watchdogging, but as a sophisticated form of partisan activism.
The 20-Issue Ideological Alignment
In our Hall of Shame series, we use twenty core ideological issues to evaluate where an outlet falls on the political spectrum. ProPublica’s coverage, tone, and editorial focus reveal its alignment. Below is a descriptive analysis for each.
- Abortion – Consistently frames pro-life laws as threats to “women’s rights,” giving minimal coverage to pro-life medical or moral arguments. Leans heavily toward pro-choice advocacy.
- Religious Liberty – Often treats religious liberty claims, especially from Christians, as potential cover for discrimination rather than as constitutional protections.
- Second Amendment – Consistently sympathetic to gun-control arguments; investigative series on firearms almost universally highlight negative outcomes while ignoring defensive gun use.
- Immigration and Borders – Coverage emphasizes humanitarian framing of illegal immigration and portrays enforcement agencies skeptically; often omits discussion of sovereignty or public safety concerns.
- Climate Change and Energy – Highly supportive of renewable energy mandates, carbon restrictions, and climate alarmism narratives; critical of fossil fuel industries.
- Education Policy – Coverage favors increased federal and state control, opposes school choice initiatives, and promotes DEI-based reforms.
- Race Relations – Frequently employs the “systemic racism” framework; stories often highlight disparities without addressing alternative explanations.
- Gender Ideology – Tends to use activist language (“gender-affirming care,” “trans rights”) and frames opposition as discriminatory.
- Economic Policy – Generally favors higher taxation on the wealthy, expanded welfare programs, and increased regulation; critical of laissez-faire economics.
- Healthcare Policy – Supports government expansion in healthcare provision and regulation; critical of privatized healthcare systems.
- Criminal Justice – Often sympathetic to progressive reforms like bail reform and decarceration, with less coverage of crime victims’ perspectives.
- Foreign Policy – Coverage often aligns with progressive critiques of U.S. military engagement; limited scrutiny of leftist regimes abroad.
- Media Bias – Rarely engages in introspection about progressive bias; tends to treat mainstream left-leaning outlets as neutral sources.
- Corporate Influence – Highly critical of corporate lobbying when linked to conservative causes, less so when corporations back progressive policies.
- Labor Issues – Consistently favorable toward unions and skeptical of right-to-work laws.
- Judiciary – Strongly critical of conservative judicial figures; rarely applies equal scrutiny to liberal judges or justices.
- Free Speech – Often sympathetic to regulation of speech in the name of combating “misinformation,” particularly online.
- National Sovereignty – Frames nationalism skeptically and promotes globalist frameworks for governance and problem-solving.
- Welfare Policy – Supports expansion of welfare benefits and programs with minimal focus on fraud prevention or dependency risks.
- Cultural Values – Aligns with progressive social values; treats traditional moral frameworks as obstacles to “equity.”
Final Verdict
ProPublica represents a fascinating case study in how journalistic branding can obscure ideological reality. From its inception, it has marketed itself as a neutral, public-spirited, nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to exposing abuses of power. To the casual observer — and certainly to the awards committees that have showered it with Pulitzers — ProPublica stands as a model of high-minded investigative reporting.
But once you look past the mission statement and marketing gloss, a very different picture emerges. The outlet’s funding sources, editorial choices, and framing of issues align closely with the priorities of the progressive donor class. It is not simply that ProPublica occasionally leans left; it is that its investigative spotlight seems permanently trained on targets that pose ideological or political threats to the Left, while turning a far dimmer light — if any — on its allies.
That doesn’t mean every story ProPublica publishes is false or without merit. In fact, some of their investigations into corporate fraud, medical malpractice, and local government corruption have been genuinely valuable. But in the aggregate, their work operates within a progressive worldview, and their “public interest” is defined through that lens. For conservatives and anyone seeking a balanced assessment of American power structures, ProPublica’s output should be read with both caution and context.
In the end, ProPublica’s greatest achievement may not be in the journalism it produces, but in how skillfully it has convinced much of the public — and even some in the center-right — that it stands above ideological bias. This illusion makes it more dangerous than openly partisan outlets, because the bias is harder for the average reader to detect.
For all these reasons, ProPublica earns its place in the Media Hall of Shame. It is not the neutral watchdog it claims to be, but rather a well-funded, well-regarded arm of the progressive information machine, shaping public perception under the banner of “investigative journalism.” Readers should approach its work with the same skepticism they would bring to any ideologically aligned outlet — because that is exactly what it is.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
rob@christiannewsjunkie.com
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I recommend these Youtube channels and commentators for good content on politics and news from a Christian and/or conservative worldview: Albert Mohler, Allie Beth Stuckey, Bill O’Reilly, CBN News, Hugh Hewitt, John Anderson Media (Australia), Nick Freitas, Ruthless Podcast (language warning), Scott Jennings, The Hot Zone with Chuck Holton, Vince Dao, and Verdict with Ted Cruz.
Albert Mohler’s channel on Youtube has a daily episode called The Briefing with Albert Mohler that I highly recommend. Allie Beth Stuckey’s channel is top-notch, too.
For livestreaming of political protests and riots by conservative commentators, check out Nate Friedman, Cam Higby, James Klug, and Nick Shirley. I don’t agree with the perspectives of all these commentators and the language of protesters is often obscene. Most news outlets will not cover these illegal assemblies, though, because it doesn’t promote their narrative.
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