Even as mainstream newspapers struggle to survive the current economic downturn — or perhaps because of it — innovative collaborations between their newsrooms and independent journalism organizations are occurring — with increasing frequency, it seems to me.
The latest is this story in the Los Angeles Times, co-written by Andrew Becker of the Center for Investigative Reporting in Berkeley and the Times' Patrick McDonell. The disturbing story describes how the number of Mexicans seeking asylum on the U.S. border is increasing significantly — an outcome of the bloody drug wars that have taken tens of thousands of lives in recent years.
Other recent examples of similar collaborations are those between ProPublica and the San Diego Union Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, as well as between the Merced Sun Star and the Center for California Health Journalism.
Expect to see more of these collaborations as more and more newspapers and other media outlets show interest in working with outside reporters as their capacity to do in-depth or investigative reporting diminishes.
