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The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is a nonprofit investigative news organization that produces WisconsinWatch.org and focuses on statewide public-interest journalism.
The Madison-based center was founded in January 2009 with one full-time staff member. It had initial partnerships with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television and The Center for Public Integrity. The site had four full-time staff members as of 2013, as well as contributing reporters, interns and student journalists.
The center offers its reports for free to Wisconsin news media outlets. It is a founding member of the Investigative News Network.
The center has received numerous foundation grants, including $200,000 from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation and part of a $100,000 grant from the Joyce Foundation. It has also received revenue through partnerships with The Center for Public Integrity and J-Lab. As of 2012, nearly all of its funding came from foundations.
In June 2013, the Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin Legislature included in its budget proposal a provision kicking the center off the UW-Madison campus, though it receives no public funding. The decision was met with broad criticism and was vetoed by Gov. Scott Walker later that month.