Designed for change: journalism that saves lives
The Examination serves communities harmed by preventable global health crises. In close partnership with journalists from around the globe, we produce evidence-based, human-centered journalism that has informed and inspired meaningful change.
Since our launch in September 2023, The Examination and more than 70 media partners have published more than 250 stories worldwide. Our journalism has reached millions of people, directly or through our media partners and won dozens of awards. We have taken our findings and stories off the page and screen and into the hands of those who can use them, briefing dozens of civil society organizations, public officials and researchers, presenting our work at medical and public health convenings, including a United Nations convention, and delivering vital health information via WhatsApp to communities.
Crucially, our work has prompted new laws and new regulatory action that has led to healthier communities; has strengthened the work of lawyers, researchers and policymakers tackling corporate harm — and has otherwise informed action to protect public health. Examples include:
Securing justice for communities poisoned by lead in West Africa: The Examination collaborated with the New York Times, news outlets in Africa and scientists to document how factories that recycle car batteries are spewing poisonous lead dust, contaminating nearby communities to devastating effect. We traced how lead produced by polluting factories ends up in new cars sold by the world’s biggest automakers. In Nigeria, our work triggered what experts called the most aggressive campaign against lead poisoning in the country’s history, including the sealing of multiple factories and a mass testing program. In the Republic of Congo, community members used our test results and reporting as evidence in a lawsuit that led to the permanent shuttering of the polluting factory. At the other end of the supply chain, one of the biggest battery manufacturers in the U.S. stopped buying Nigerian lead and introduced stricter oversight of its lead procurement.
New scrutiny of dietician “influencers”: In a collaborative investigation with The Washington Post, we revealed how the food and beverage industries paid popular dietitians to produce social content encouraging viewers to eat diet soda, sugar and supplements, downplay the health risks of highly processed foods and push unproven supplements. Soon after, the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to American Beverage, a lobbying group that includes CocaCola and PepsiCo, the Canadian Sugar Institute and a dozen health influencers with millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram, notifying them that they were in violation of a law that requires disclosure of paid partnerships.
New graphic warnings on nicotine pouches: Our reporting revealed that British American Tobacco secretly lobbied against putting warning labels on their nicotine pouches in Kenya. Internal documents showed BAT successfully pressured Kenyan regulators to weaken health warnings on nicotine pouches. After stories were published in The Guardian and with Africa Uncensored, Kenya reversed course and introduced proposals for much stronger regulations, becoming the first African nation to mandate graphic warning labels on all new tobacco and nicotine products.
New law regulating THC: We teamed up with al.com in Alabama, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in Wisconsin and USA Today to report on the rapid proliferation of unregulated THC products filling the shelves of gas stations and specialty stores in the U.S. Our reporting found that a variant called delta-8 had sparked a surge in calls to poison control hotlines, and legally purchased hemp products caused people to fail marijuana drug tests, costing them jobs and more. An Alabama lawmaker cited the award-winning reporting in drafting a law that instituted more stringent testing, labeling and other consumer safety requirements for all THC products sold in the state.
How we work
Our investigative team includes an impact editor and an impact producer, who collaborate with citizens and stakeholders to make sure our work is useful. We design our journalism to raise awareness, close data gaps, grow agency and spark action, from top-down to ground-up.
When measuring impact, we ask the following questions:
Does our journalism grow the power of the communities we report from and with, equipping them with knowledge, resources or skills?
Is our work amplified by other media or influencers, raising public awareness and prompting discussion?
Does it spark action by civil society groups, policymakers and other stakeholders, leading to new laws, changes in corporate practices, legal victories or regulatory enforcement?
Does it enable our partners at local and global news outlets to produce journalism that would not otherwise have been possible?