Does big money=big infulence?

Last year, media critic Jack Shafer wrote concerns about the investigative journalism website, ProPublica. The website was founded by Herbert and Marion Sandler, billionaires that promised to provide the foundation journalism outlet with $10 million dollars every year. Shafer questioned how the Sandlers can donnate so much money without infulencing what is being reported on. The two have spent millions on politics, all in favor of the democratic party. Shafer wrote that ProPublica says they intend to remain unbiased but what happens if the investigative reporting turns on the democratic party? What if the Sandlers do not like what is being reported...given their polictical stances. Will they continue to support ProPublica with millions then?

As of right now, ProPublica has extensive coverage on major issues like health care reform, the licensing of California nurses, the stimulus and gas drilling. The articles seem to be neutral but there are many nice pictures of Obama and as of now, no articles that really question the white house. It worries me when a news outlet relies too heavily on one source for money. The Sandlers may not be a major corporation but they still have the big money and I am sure they would not like it if ProPublica decided to do a investigative report on their lives. But as a news outlet, ProPublica should have the right to do an report on the corporation, foundation or any other financial source that supports them, without being censored. Realistically, that will never happen. No entity that is supplying millions or billions of dollars will allow it. In order to remain relatively safe news outlets should have many different sources for money. That way it wouldn't be such a blow if one pulls out because they are unhappy with the content nor will the content start to be driven by the funders.

Shafer thinks that the Sandlers should have donated the money and then resigned from being able to make decisions about ProPublica. That way the money could keep flowing but the content would not be guided by the funders. I think ProPublica will be interesting to keep a check on over the next few years. Will the big money influence the content?