Florida Center for Investigative Reporting (FCIR) was a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

founded in 2010 having a stated mission to investigate "corruption, waste and miscarriages of justice". In August 2021, FCIR ceased operations and was absorbed by

Inside Climate News ''Inside Climate News'' is a non-profit news organization, focusing on environmental journalism.Curtis BrainardInsideClimate wins a Pulitzer ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (April 16, 2013). The publication writes that it "covers clean energy, c ...

Investigations

FCIR reported that

state of Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

officials allegedly ordered employees of the

Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is the Florida government agency responsible for environmental protection. History By the mid-1960s, when the federal government was becoming increasingly involved in initiatives desig ...

not to use the terms

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

, and sustainability in their communications. Another investigation by FCIR alleged repeated records requests by private parties to obtain records of businesses that had been hired to work with state agencies, followed, in some cases, by lawsuits.Korten, Tristram.
New public records bill filed to protect private companies working with state agencies
", ''

Naples News The ''Naples Daily News'' is the main daily newspaper of Naples, Florida, and Collier County. It is owned by Gannett and has a circulation of more than 40,000. It was previously owned by Milwaukee-based Journal Media Group, which was formed ...

'' (January 9, 2015): "Two bills filed this week would protect private companies hired by state agencies, steps taken after a story by the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting about a nonprofit and a law firm that filed numerous records requests with agencies and sued if they didn't comply." Legislation has since been introduced to modify Florida's

sunshine law Freedom of information laws allow access by the general public to data held by national governments and, where applicable, by state and local governments. The emergence of freedom of information legislation was a response to increasing dissatisfa ...

so as to protect those businesses. FCIR has also been in the news for investigating a new trend in Florida toward establishment of toll lanes. And, in 2011, FCIR helped uncover high school

diploma mill A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is a company or organization that claims to be a higher education institution but provides illegitimate academic degrees and diplomas for a fee. The degrees can be fabricated (made-up), falsified (fake ...

s. A description of other investigations by FCIR is available at its website.FCIR: Investigations

References

External links

*{{Official website, fcir.org 2010 establishments in Florida Non-profit organizations based in Florida American journalism organizations