Our Mission:

The Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism is a non-profit, non-partisan organization serving the civic good of Birmingham and Alabama by supporting journalism that makes a difference and citizen engagement with news that is fair, factual, unflinching and focused on important matters.

We welcome the chance to concentrate on public service, investigative and explanatory reporting as many news organizations do less of this challenging and revelatory work.

We are committed to journalism that serves as a watchdog on government and other powerful institutions, highlights significant issues, uncovers solutions as well as problems, involves the public in its work, and by doing that, helps build a better Birmingham and Alabama.

The initiative will focus on local reporting about government performance and transparency, education, the environment, and economic development and opportunity. It will distribute news and information, and connect with citizens, through its web-based news organization, BirminghamWatch.org; through BirminghamWatch newsletters and posting on social media; through partnerships with other news organizations — print, electronic and online;
through collaborations with universities involved in journalism training and research; and by working with civic groups, especially on in-person conversations.

In all of its operations and partnerships, Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism will be guided by core values: commitment to independence, openness and recognized ethical standards of journalism; support for journalists who create thoughtful, probing and engaging work in a variety of mediums; respect both for the standards and purposes of journalism’s best tradition and for the inventive and effective tools of the digital present; intent to consult and empower, as well as inform, readers, listeners, viewers and followers of journalism the association supports.