Investigative Journalism Bureau

What Investigative Journalism Bureau does

The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) is a Toronto-based nonprofit investigative newsroom founded circa 2020 and hosted at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health Sciences. Founded by Robert Cribb — a Pulitzer Prize winner for the Panama Papers — IJB operates a collaborative reporting model in which a core staff of approximately 12 editors and reporters coordinates with external journalists, academic researchers, and student fellows across multi-month investigations. IJB reports across healthcare, public health, justice, consumer protection, and government accountability, with notable projects including Generation Distress (a multi-outlet mental-health investigation involving 70+ contributors across Canada), Patient Files, the Influencers Project, and probes into the egg-freezing industry, the experiences of trans prisoners, Ontario water-billing practices, and MAID policy.

IJB's core products span three categories: (1) interactive, database-driven investigations — Ontario Maternal and Neonatal Death Tracker, Ontario Hospital Finance Explorer, Radon Map, Lead Tracker, and Patient Experience Surveys — built from public records, freedom-of-information requests, and crowdsourced submissions; (2) narrative podcasts including Heliograph, Arachnid, The Ultimate Choice, and In Our Heads, distributed via partners including TVO and CBC audio; and (3) long-form documentary video including Patient Files, Bodies for Rent, and Mind Games. Reporting output is republished and co-produced with media partners including the Toronto Star, CBC, TVO, National Observer, and Global News, which provides distribution reach at scale.

IJB operates as a registered Canadian nonprofit and is funded through a mix of philanthropic grants, individual donations, media-partner contributions, and journalistic fellowships. Documented funding includes a $100,000 contribution from the Toronto Star (October 2021), a combined $50,000 from a $25,000 Seeman family donation matched by the Dalla Lana School (July 2021), and fellowship underwriting from the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF-IJB Black Investigative Journalism Fellowship) and the Hennick Foundation. IJB is currently running a $250,000 fundraising campaign. Revenue is grant-and-donation-driven rather than subscription- or advertising-based, with significant in-kind value provided through university hosting, media-partner republishing, and union support (Unifor). Funder and source willingness to engage is reinforced by documented policy impacts — including legislation on dog testing, hospital funding reforms, and a reported 1000% increase in radon testing following the Radon Map investigation — and by recognition including the Canadian Hillman Prize, a Peabody Award nomination, and National Newspaper Awards.

Name

Investigative Journalism Bureau

Legal name

Investigative Journalism Bureau

Website

https://ijb.utoronto.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Investigative Journalism Bureau is a Toronto-based nonprofit investigative newsroom hosted at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health Sciences, founded by Pulitzer winner Robert Cribb. It produces database-driven investigations, podcasts, and documentaries on healthcare, justice, and public accountability, distributed through media partners including the Toronto Star, CBC, TVO, and Global News.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investigative Journalism

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data Journalism & News Intelligence Publishers (Indexes, Election/Market Data) (MPAJADAK), Investigative & Journalism Documentaries (MPADADAD)

Keywords

• Investigative journalism
• Public interest reporting
• Data journalism databases
• Collaborative newsroom
• Nonprofit news media

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization conducts fundraising campaigns including a $250,000 goal. Individual donations support investigative journalism operations and training programs.
2. Institutional Grants and Fellowships: Funding from organizations including Unifor for internship programs ($100,000 from Toronto Star investment, $25,000 from Neil Seeman matched by Dalla Lana School), fellowships sponsored by The Jay and Barbara Hennick Family Foundation, and CJF partnership programs.
3. Collaborative Partnerships with Media Organizations: Partnerships with media outlets such as Toronto Star, CBC, and TVO for co-publishing and distributing investigative journalism content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Investigative Journalism Bureau is a non-profit collaborative newsroom that produces data-driven investigative journalism in the public interest, distributed freely through its website and partner media organizations. It develops standalone interactive databases (Ontario Maternal and Neonatal Death Tracker, Ontario Hospital Finance Explorer, Radon in Public Housing Interactive Map, School & Daycare Lead Tracker, Patient Experience Surveys), multi-season podcasts (Heliograph, Arachnid, The Ultimate Choice, In Our Heads), documentary films, and investigative reporting series. The organization also trains the next generation of investigative reporters through internship and fellowship programs.

Product overview

The Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) is a non-profit, impact-driven collaborative newsroom at the University of Toronto that produces deeply-reported investigative journalism in the public interest. The IJB operates as a unified platform combining multiple product offerings: public-facing data databases (including the Ontario Maternal and Neonatal Death Tracker, Ontario Hospital Finance Explorer, Radon in Public Housing Interactive Map, School & Daycare Lead Tracker, and Patient Experience Surveys) that enable citizens to explore health and safety data; multimedia podcast series (Heliograph, Arachnid, The Ultimate Choice, In Our Heads) that translate investigative findings into accessible audio formats; documentary films (The Patient Files, Bodies for Rent, Mind Games) presenting investigations through long-form video; and investigative reporting series covering topics from healthcare to environmental hazards. The organization also provides subscription newsletter and engagement platforms. Together, these products serve to investigate systemic issues, hold power accountable, and drive policy changes while training the next generation of investigative journalists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Heliograph: IJB's investigative journalism podcast offering deeper looks at reporting and featuring perspectives from investigative reporters, scholars, and cultural commentators from around the world
• The Patient Files
• Generation Distress
• Arachnid
• Ontario Maternal and Neonatal Death Tracker
• Ontario Hospital Finance Explorer
• The Ultimate Choice
• In Our Heads
• Bodies for Rent

Products and services

• Ontario Maternal and Neonatal Death Tracker A public database tracking maternal and neonatal deaths in Ontario, providing visibility into death rates and the families affected.
• Ontario Hospital Finance Explorer An interactive database allowing users to search and analyze Ontario hospital financial data.
• Radon in Public Housing Interactive Map An interactive map displaying radon gas levels in public housing units across Canada, built from six years of test results from 30,000 homes.
• School & Daycare Lead Tracker A database tracking lead contamination levels in schools and daycares across Ontario.
• Patient Experience Surveys Database A database of patient survey data from Ontario hospitals revealing patient experience metrics.
• Heliograph Podcast A podcast taking a deeper look at investigative reporting, offering stories behind investigations and featuring perspectives from investigative reporters, scholars, and cultural commentators worldwide. Currently in Season 2.
• Arachnid Podcast An investigative podcast hunting the web's darkest secrets, covering topics like human trafficking and online exploitation. Winner of the Canadian Hillman Prize.
• The Ultimate Choice Podcast A podcast exploring the expansion of MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) legislation in Canada.
• In Our Heads Podcast A podcast series produced in collaboration with TVO Today exploring mental health topics.
• The Patient Files Documentary A documentary series revealing hidden stories from inside Ontario's hospitals, exposing patient care issues.
• Bodies for Rent Documentary A documentary directed by Habiba Nosheen in collaboration with IJB, aired on CBC, examining exploitative practices in medical research.
• Mind Games Documentary A mini-documentary exploring generational trauma and healing approaches.
• The Influencers Project An investigative series exposing industry influence on healthcare professionals through social media sponsorships.
• Generation Distress An award-winning investigative series on youth mental health crisis in Canada, launched following the suicide of Kyle Gardiner.
• IJB Newsletter A newsletter providing updates on IJB's latest news and investigations, available via email subscription.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ontario passed legislation to restrict invasive medical research on dogs and cats following IJB investigation
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toronto StarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2021Toronto Star invested $100,000 in IJB's collaborative reporting model. The Star co-publishes investigative stories with IJB and provides distribution to its national readership. This is a flagship media partnership.
• University of Toronto - Dalla Lana School of Public Health SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIJB is housed at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health Sciences. The partnership provides academic affiliation, access to graduate students and researchers, and the Dalla Lana matched a $25,000 donation from Neil Seeman. The institution provides office space and institutional credibility.
• Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCJF and IJB jointly created the CJF-IJB Black Investigative Journalism Fellowship, bringing an early-career Black reporter to IJB for six months. CJF also co-sponsors the fellowship with Unifor and The Jay and Barbara Hennick Family Foundation. CJF Awards ceremony recognizes IJB fellows.
• CBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCBC partners with IJB for documentary distribution. 'Bodies for Rent' documentary directed by Habiba Nosheen in collaboration with IJB aired on CBC. CBC journalists including associate producers have come from IJB programs.
• TVOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTVO is a media partner featuring IJB reporters on programs like The Agenda and distributing documentary content. TVO executive producers have provided testimonials about IJB's work.
• National ObserverminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational Observer publishes IJB investigations, including the radon investigation.
• Global NewsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal News receives investigative content and journalists from IJB, including alumni who have become online regional journalists at Global News.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIJB & IRE presented a collaborative, cross-border conference for investigative journalism training and networking.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Narwhal: The Narwhal is a Canadian nonprofit investigative newsroom focused on environment and accountability; highly comparable to IJB as a nonprofit, donor-supported Canadian investigative outlet producing policy-impactful reporting.
• The Logic: The Logic is a Canadian subscription-based investigative outlet covering policy, tech, and business; comparable to IJB in its data-driven accountability journalism targeting Canadian decision-makers.
• Toronto Star Investigative Team: Toronto Star's investigative desk is IJB's closest media partner and a direct peer in Canadian investigative journalism; the Star invested $100k in IJB and co-publishes investigations, making it the natural benchmark for comparable scope and audience.
• National Observer: National Observer is both a distribution partner (publishes IJB radon investigations) and a directly comparable Canadian nonprofit-leaning investigative outlet covering environment, health, and accountability; IJB board member David McKie is National Observer's managing editor.
• The Investigative Fund: The Investigative Fund (formerly at Columbia Journalism School) is a directly comparable nonprofit investigative reporting incubator that pairs journalists with editors; shares IJB's nonprofit, university-affiliated, impact-driven model.
• Type Investigations: Type Investigations (formerly The Investigative Reporting Workshop) is a US nonprofit investigative outlet producing long-form accountability journalism; highly comparable to IJB in mission, scope, and nonprofit funding model.

Broad incumbents

• CBC News Investigative: CBC is a major IJB partner for documentary distribution (e.g., 'Bodies for Rent') and a broad public broadcaster with deep investigative resources; it competes for the same accountability-journalism audience but at significantly greater scale.
• Global News Investigative: Global News is an IJB distribution partner (employs IJB alumni) and a broad Canadian newsroom with substantial investigative capacity; a comparable in market, though with much larger resources.
• ProPublica: ProPublica is the canonical US nonprofit investigative newsroom and the gold-standard peer for impact-driven, donor-supported investigative journalism; IJB's model and outcomes are explicitly designed in this lineage.

Emerging players

• Centre for Investigative Journalism: CIJ is a nonprofit investigative journalism training and reporting organization (UK-based); comparable to IJB in its emphasis on training and collaborative investigative production, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IJBureau
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IJBureau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/investigative-journalism-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Investigative Journalism Bureau