Pre-2021 FIRE feedback
From select FIRE recipients, pre-2021
Below is feedback from three freelance investigative reporters served by FIRE before 2021, winners of various journalism fellowships and awards. Anonymous feedback from prior reporters linked further below.
Personalized Support and Attention
“FIRE’s service really is quite unique. It is very personal, and it’s rare to have an hour with someone, one-to-one to talk about your piece of work. Especially as a freelancer, that time and personalized attention is invaluable and something that a lot of us could really benefit from.” - Cat McShane
“Doing investigative journalism as a freelancer can be very daunting. With constant contact, FIRE managed to keep the work accountable and keep the momentum. They always looked to see if they could fulfill a particular need.” - Ayo Awokoya
“Director Laird Townsend could talk us through the problems of our project even at times when everything seemed to be falling apart.” - Emily Palmer
Emphasis on Early Intervention
“For freelancers, it’s hard to find support as you’re developing a project. We had faith the support would come. But we only had that latitude because we had FIRE. FIRE director Laird Townsend was one of the first people who invested in the project. He was like, Even though you're still figuring out how to do this, you should definitely be doing it.” - Emily Palmer
“FIRE very kindly went above and beyond the needs of the editorial consultancy when they saw the project was kind of moving in the right direction. So they were incredibly helpful in that regard. And especially when they didn't have to be.” - Ayo Awokoya
“FIRE helped me at an important time, when I didn't have any other professional input on the piece. I wasn’t working with an editor—it was sort of just down to me. So it was really helpful.” - Cat McShane
Unflagging Source of Support
“If you were staff somewhere you would just automatically get certain support. But as a freelancer, it’s incredible to have someone stick it out with you. FIRE was our support system throughout the entire life of the project, not just in terms of the money offered, but the additional resources that give you a newsroom and a home.” - Emily Palmer
“It was a good boost of confidence to talk over it and sharpen the pitch. FIRE was very good at practical challenges: if you can't place it this way, then what are different angles that might get you more funding to advance the material.” - Cat McShane
“FIRE was very understanding about what a freelancer's circumstances were. With other grants they kind of just leave you to your own devices. What's quite different with FIRE is the level of support. They are with you the entire way.” - Ayo Awokoya
* Ayo Awokoya, whose co-reported exposé of agricultural supply chains relying on forced African labor received the 2019 Frontline Club Award for print journalism, and was the runner-up nominee for the Foreign Press Association Print Award, for The Guardian UK
-recipient of FIRE Editorial Consultancy and Virtual Newsroom awards;
* Emily Palmer, whose co-reported investigation into compliance failures in federal child abuse protections earned the prestigious Spotlight fellowship, to run in the Boston Globe in 2019
-recipient of FIRE Editorial Consultancy and Virtual Newsroom awards;
* Cat McShane, whose 2017 FIRE-supported research on private-equity investment in international residential real estate evolved into a BBC Panorama film nominated for a 2019 Wincott Award for the best business journalism in the UK
-recipient of FIRE Editorial Consultancy award
From FIRE recipients, 2016-18
You can view testimonials from 2016-2018 here.
Pre-FIRE testimonials
You can view pre-FIRE testimonials here.