The Examination
The Examination is a nonprofit investigative newsroom founded in 2023 that produces cross-border reporting on health threats from tobacco, food, pollution, and drugs, distributing content through its website, newsletter, and a 70+ partner newsroom network across 30+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersRemote, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Examination does
The Examination is a nonprofit investigative newsroom founded in September 2023 that produces cross-border reporting on health threats posed by tobacco, food, industrial pollution, and drugs. The organization is led by Executive Director Ben Hallman and a small team of specialized senior reporters, and it operates as a charitable, donation-funded entity with no charge for content access. Its core products include long-form investigative articles, a weekly email newsletter, video documentaries, and themed series such as 'The Poisonous Lead Trade,' 'Smoking for the State,' 'World of Pain,' and 'Nicotine Networks.'
The organization's technical infrastructure is built on the Storyblok content management system, supporting a direct-to-consumer website (theexamination.org), a WhatsApp distribution channel, and YouTube-hosted video content. Distribution is materially amplified by a collaborative network of 70+ international newsroom partners spanning 30+ countries, including The New York Times, POLITICO Europe, STAT, Le Monde, Premium Times, and Der Standard. This hub-and-spoke model allows The Examination to combine small-staff investigative capacity with global reach through co-publishing and syndication.
Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary donations and charitable contributions, with suggested giving tiers of $10, $20, $50, $100, and $500, plus recurring donation options. The organization has no disclosed parent company, no funding rounds, and no public monetization of content. Its primary audiences are general public readers seeking public health accountability journalism and partner newsrooms seeking cross-border investigative collaboration. The business model positions The Examination as an impact-driven nonprofit rather than a commercially scalable enterprise; key performance indicators are policy outcomes and editorial reach rather than revenue growth.
The Examination firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Examination
- Legal name
- The Examination
- Website
- https://theexamination.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Examination is a nonprofit investigative newsroom founded in 2023 that produces cross-border reporting on health threats from tobacco, food, pollution, and drugs, distributing content through its website, newsletter, and a 70+ partner newsroom network across 30+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Examination industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investigative Health Journalism
- NAICS
- Information (51)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral Risk & Health Survey Surveillance (HLAJANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Literature Monitoring & Social/Digital Media Safety Monitoring (HLAGALAL), All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) & ASTM Phase I ESA (EUAHAEAA)
Keywords
Where The Examination is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Remote
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Examination business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Examination operates as a nonprofit organization, entirely reliant on donor support. The website features a donation system with preset amounts ($10, $20, $50, $100, $500) and recurring donation options including weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual frequencies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Voluntary donation model with suggested amounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Examination product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Examination is a nonprofit investigative newsroom that produces original reporting on global public health threats across four coverage areas: Big Tobacco, Big Food, Industrial Pollution, and Drugs. It distributes content free of charge through its website, a weekly email newsletter, video documentaries, and co-published investigations with 70+ partner newsrooms across 30+ countries. The organization is funded entirely by donations and focuses on exposing causes of preventable death and disease.
Product overview
The Examination is a nonprofit health journalism organization offering investigative reporting through multiple content formats: news articles and investigations published on its website, a weekly newsletter delivered to subscribers, video documentaries, and themed topic series. The organization focuses on four main coverage areas—Big Tobacco, Big Food, Industrial Pollution, and Drugs—with notable series like 'The Poisonous Lead Trade' and 'Smoking for the State.' The platform operates as a unified editorial product without separate modules or tiers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Examination News Articles
- Newsletter Subscription
- Video Documentaries
- Topic Series
Quantifiable outcome
- Prompted Nigerian government to shut down seven battery recycling factories linked to lead poisoning
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Examination
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Examination technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Examination partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The New York TimescorePrimary investigative partner for major investigations including the poisonous lead trade series on battery recycling in Nigeria. The New York Times co-published the investigation and produced video content that received millions of views.
- POLITICO EuropecoreCollaborated on investigation into EU officials' undisclosed meetings with Philip Morris International, finding violations of global public health treaty.
- Premium Times (Nigeria)corePartner newsroom in Nigeria for the poisonous lead trade investigation, reporting on battery recycling and lead poisoning in Nigerian communities.
- Truth Reporting Post (Togo)coreTogolese news outlet partner for documenting lead contamination near battery recycling sites in Togo, leading to government-ordered testing.
- ClassFM Online (Ghana)minorGhanaian partner for battery recycling investigation reporting on the impact on Ghanaian communities.
- Le Monde (France)minorFrench media partner publishing investigation into nicotine expert paid by Juul to lobby against Israeli vaping regulations.
- Der Standard (Austria)minorAustrian partner publishing opioid crisis investigation coverage.
- RTBF (Belgium)minorBelgian partner publishing coverage on PFAS and battery-related environmental issues.
- Columbia Journalism Investigations (USA)minorCollaborated on investigation into 'forever chemical' polluters landing contracts to meet EV battery demand.
- Investigative Journalism Bureau (Canada)minorCanadian partner investigating Big Sugar's sponsorship of dietitians on social media.
- STAT (USA)coreHealth-focused news outlet partnered on FDA Zyn whistleblower investigation, publishing the story about FDA approval of nicotine pouches without knowing their composition.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Examination competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
The Examination social profiles
Digital presenceThe Examination financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Examination leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The Examination funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Examination M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Examination
What does The Examination do?
The Examination is a nonprofit investigative newsroom that produces original reporting on global public health threats across four coverage areas: Big Tobacco, Big Food, Industrial Pollution, and Drugs. It distributes content free of charge through its website, a weekly email newsletter, video documentaries, and co-published investigations with 70+ partner newsrooms across 30+ countries. The organization is funded entirely by donations and focuses on exposing causes of preventable death and disease.
Is The Examination a public or private company?
The Examination is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Examination founded?
The Examination was founded in 2023. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Examination based?
The Examination is headquartered in Remote, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Examination make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Does The Examination have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Examination.
What industry is The Examination in?
The Examination's product category is Investigative Health Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAJANAD, Behavioral Risk & Health Survey Surveillance, with a secondary code of HLAGALAL, Literature Monitoring & Social/Digital Media Safety Monitoring. Its NAICS code is 51 and its SIC code is 2721.