A group of journalists including some of theUK’s most active and distinguished investigative reporters, agreed to supportBritain's first major not-for-profit initiative to fund public interest investigative journalism.

At its launch, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) announced a £2million grant from The David and Elaine Potter Foundation (http://www.potterfoundation.com) as its founding donation.

The Bureau will be the “first organization in theUKdedicated to investigative journalism in the public interest”. The BIJ will begin operations inLondonin the coming months and will aim to be a counterweight to the decline of traditional media investigations. The Bureau will seek to exploit the full range of conventional and new media channels for its work. It will have its own Editorial Board, Managing Editor and editorial staff.

Gavin Macfadyen, the Director of the Centre for Investigative Journalism, and one of the Founders of the Bureau said “We will experiment with all the techniques available to us from 'crowdfunding' to 'crowdsourcing' and provide content across the media spectrum. But there is no substitute for first rate reporters being given time and resources to deliver great stories, which hold the powerful to account. The Bureau will offer investigative journalists both proper funding and the support of senior and experienced editors and researchers to carry out important investigations that are in the public interest."

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