Keeping investigative reporting alive

Dan Gillmor comments about the new investigative project called Pro Publica. Lots of bloggers and listserv contributors have been talking about this and how it's another sign of the death of newspaper journalism. My reaction was that this is a positive move, and Gillmor agrees:

Foundations are stepping into the breach left by downsizing media companies, and not a minute too soon. This effort will, if it works, be a serious contributor to the news scene.

Gillmor also mentions the Center for Public Integrity and wonders why this very successful project wasn't mentioned in the New York Times story about Pro Publica.It's things like this that will be keeping investigative journalism alive. Or, as Pro Publica says:

Today's investigative reporters lack resources: Time and budget constraints are curbing the ability of journalists not specifically designated “investigative” to do this kind of reporting in addition their regular beats. This is therefore a moment when new models are necessary...

As soon as I posted this, I found that Ken Doctor has posted on the same topic: ProPublica, MinnPost Burst Out of the Box. Doctor, on Pro Publica:

If you look through the growing haze of daily downsizing, you can see a sun trying to rise.
...If the world has unlocked the ad/editorial connection, this kind of model says, okay, let's concentrate on what we know how to do best: produce great journalism. Importantly, these will be experienced journalists, edited by top editors...user-gen is no substitute for journalism.