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EnglishWhat Formats Does ProPublica Use to Publish Its Journalism?
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ProPublica publishes its journalism primarily as written investigative articles and multi-part series, and it extends that work into audio through at least one podcast ("Paper Trail") and into visual storytelling through photography, illustration, and data-driven graphics. The homepage evidence shows all three forms in active use, so readers who want more than text have concrete alternatives — but the site does not document a full format catalog, so treat this as what is visibly in use rather than an exhaustive list.
Written investigations and follow-up series
The core format is the long-form investigative article, often revisited over time. The homepage surfaces a story on faith-healing exemptions in Idaho alongside two earlier pieces on the same subject ("Idaho Law Protects Faith Healers. It Wasn't Always That Way." and "Children in a Faith-Healing Sect Keep Dying. The State Lets It Happen."), each dated about a month before. A similar pattern appears in the raw-milk coverage, where a newer report on an unlicensed California dairy sits next to a four-month-old article on the same farmer.
This matters if you are tracking a topic: the newest piece is rarely the whole story, and the linked earlier articles carry the background and prior findings.
Audio: the "Paper Trail" podcast
The homepage lists "Podcast Paper Trail" with an episode titled "Who's the Shadow President?" about Russell Vought and the second Trump administration's approach to Congress and federal agencies. The listing is presented as a podcast, which indicates ProPublica produces at least some of its reporting in listenable form rather than text alone. If you prefer audio or want to hear reporting discussed rather than read it, this is the entry point shown on the site.
Visual presentation: photography, illustration, and graphics
Credits on the homepage show how stories are visually built:
| Story | Visual credit | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Faith-healing deaths | "Sarah Miller for ProPublica" | Original photojournalism, with last names on headstones redacted to protect children's identities |
| Texas AI learning tool | "Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune" | Photography shared through a newsroom partnership |
| Raw milk illness | "Courtesy of Emily Marris" | Supplied images used as evidence or context |
| Voting-access rule | "Illustration by Simone Noronha for ProPublica" | Commissioned illustration for policy coverage |
| Gambling investigation | "Illustration by Simone Noronha for ProPublica" | Same illustrator across opinion-style or first-person pieces |
The redaction note on the headstone photo is a useful signal: visual choices in these stories are made with source and subject protection in mind, not just decoration.
Collaborative publishing
Several homepage items credit partner newsrooms — "Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune" and a story co-presented with The Texas Tribune — showing that ProPublica's formats include co-published investigations. If you are looking for coverage of a specific state, checking whether a story ran with a local partner can lead you to additional reporting on the same investigation.
How to choose what to read or listen to
- Want the full record on an issue: start with the newest article, then follow the linked earlier pieces in the same series.
- Prefer listening: use the "Paper Trail" podcast listing.
- Need the visual evidence or context: the photo and illustration credits tell you whether images are original reporting, partner photography, or supplied material.
- Following a regional story: look for partner credits such as The Texas Tribune, which may host related coverage.
The site does not state whether these formats are free to access or require registration, so check the individual story or podcast page before assuming access terms.