About Us | The Lens

The Lens is the New Orleans area’s first nonprofit, nonpartisan public-interest newsroom, dedicated to unique investigative and explanatory journalism.

The Lens fights to reveal and report on issues that impact the community and the region. Staunchly defending the public’s right to know and deeply committed to sharing our knowledge with the community at large. We center human impact in all our work.

We have a diverse set of financial supporters, including major national foundations, local foundations and dedicated readers in the New Orleans area. Though we’re grateful for all support, donors have no control over the operations or editorial product of The Lens.

The Lens was founded in November 2009 and established as a Louisiana nonprofit in February 2010. We were granted federal 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in December 2012, retroactive to May 2011. Until then, The Lens operated under the fiscal sponsorship of The Center for Public Integrity, one of the country’s oldest nonprofit newsrooms, based in Washington, D.C.

The strength of The Lens lies in a highly qualified award-winning editorial and research staff, as well as a collaborative network of affiliated organizations.

Co-founders Karen Gadbois and Ariella Cohen began publishing The Lens in January 2010. Gadbois serves on the board in an ex officio capacity and continues to fundraise and write for the site; Cohen serves on The Lens’ board of directors and works at The Philadelphia Inquirer as the deputy managing editor for News.