MPI hires Helena reporter
HELENA - The Montana Policy Institute has added a second full-time reporter to its journalism department.
"We're opening our Helena investigative reporter bureau and starting up a Montana Watchdog web site to give you an unbiased news source that does more than reprint press releases," said MPI President Carl Graham.
In January, MPI opened a Helena bureau and staffed it with veteran print journalist Phil Drake. Investigative Reporter Michael Noyes continues to work out of MPI's main offices in Bozeman.
Stories from both reporters will continue to be distributed free of charge for use by Montana media outlets. In 2009 MPI joined the Montana Newspaper Association as an associate member.
Drake's reporting will focus specifically on budget and legislative issues at the state level.
The hiring follows a trend in increased funding of journalism by nonprofit organizations. The Associated Press started a pilot project last July to distribute investigative journalism from nonprofit organizations to 1,500 newspapers, according to the summer 2009 issue of The IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors) Journal.
Graham said with the resources devoted to reporting on the decline in recent years it is important for groups concerned with government transparency and accountability to step forward.
"We may be the first to do this in Montana, but we certainly hope this is just the beginning," Graham said. "Organizations from every political spectrum should see the benefit of supporting quality journalism."
Graham said work is under way to set up an independent news website. Ultimately, he said the goal is to make the online journalism effort self-sustaining and independent.
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The Montana Policy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan policy research center based in Bozeman. It provides analysis and information to encourage individual freedom, personal responsiblity, and free markets in Montana. MPI is a Montana tax exempt corporation operated exclusively for the public benefit. No substantial part of the activities of the Institute are used for the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, promote any political campaign, or on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.
"We're opening our Helena investigative reporter bureau and starting up a Montana Watchdog web site to give you an unbiased news source that does more than reprint press releases," said MPI President Carl Graham.
In January, MPI opened a Helena bureau and staffed it with veteran print journalist Phil Drake. Investigative Reporter Michael Noyes continues to work out of MPI's main offices in Bozeman.
Stories from both reporters will continue to be distributed free of charge for use by Montana media outlets. In 2009 MPI joined the Montana Newspaper Association as an associate member.
Drake's reporting will focus specifically on budget and legislative issues at the state level.
The hiring follows a trend in increased funding of journalism by nonprofit organizations. The Associated Press started a pilot project last July to distribute investigative journalism from nonprofit organizations to 1,500 newspapers, according to the summer 2009 issue of The IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors) Journal.
Graham said with the resources devoted to reporting on the decline in recent years it is important for groups concerned with government transparency and accountability to step forward.
"We may be the first to do this in Montana, but we certainly hope this is just the beginning," Graham said. "Organizations from every political spectrum should see the benefit of supporting quality journalism."
Graham said work is under way to set up an independent news website. Ultimately, he said the goal is to make the online journalism effort self-sustaining and independent.
###
The Montana Policy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan policy research center based in Bozeman. It provides analysis and information to encourage individual freedom, personal responsiblity, and free markets in Montana. MPI is a Montana tax exempt corporation operated exclusively for the public benefit. No substantial part of the activities of the Institute are used for the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, promote any political campaign, or on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.