Clarity and equity: Lessons from Lighthouse Reports’ first partner survey

Collaborations are fundamental to Lighthouse Reports’ operating model and to the production of outstanding investigations, but it can be hard to know how we are doing and where we can improve. To address this, we ran our first survey of investigation partners in September 2025, yielding insights on equity and clarity.

The first hurdle is getting a rich enough response from busy partners. The anonymous poll of 198 individuals achieved a higher than expected 38 per cent response rate, with 76 partners replying. Rosie Maguire and Anna Dent – independent consultants engaged by Lighthouse – also interviewed 16 partners.

An opt-in survey like this will never be fully representative because the people most likely to respond are those who had enjoyed working with us. But we were pleasantly surprised by the breadth and depth of the replies. Even critical participants suggested ways forward.

What collaborators value

To find out what our partners wanted most from a collaborative investigation, we asked them to pick three objectives from a menu of seven, as well as suggest others.

This was how they stacked up, in order of priority:

In the qualitative feedback, respondents said they wanted collaborations to have a strong, real world impact. They valued a clear, bold vision and also space for creativity. They sought mutual respect and equity.

On a more practical level, they wanted reliable and responsive collaborators who manage investigations with a clear direction. They sought clarity on their role and that of other partners in the same investigation.

How partners felt about Lighthouse collaborations

How did we fare against this set of expectations? We zoomed in on the responses of partners who prioritised each possible outcome. The assumption here is that people pay closer attention to what they care most about.

Lesson 1: Prioritise process

Another interesting finding was that methods didn’t matter as much as process when it came to communicating with partners.

Editors at Lighthouse use a variety of communication methods and platforms to keep partners updated, such as reporting memos, investigation road maps, meeting minutes and summary tables. We wanted to find out what worked best.

However, no matter which method or platform was used, similarly high proportions of our partners said they received regular and comprehensive updates. This implied that it didn’t really matter how we kept them informed, as long as we kept them informed.

Lesson 2: Manage expectations and be transparent

Much of the qualitative feedback had to do with communicating and managing expectations.

Respondents want our fact-checking process, for example, to be shared upfront and agreed upon to avoid undue stress downstream. They wanted clarity on what is needed or will be done to ensure impact. They wanted to be clear about Lighthouse’s role in facilitating follow-up investigations.

Crediting and publication timelines were a source of contention. Respondents observed that bigger media outlets had more say over the publication timelines than smaller ones, and that staff journalists who came onboard late in the investigation got the same credit as freelancers who did the heavy lifting. They wanted Lighthouse to manage this by making decisions fairly and transparently.

We are reflecting on these concerns. While we think of how to do better, we are also conscious that some things are beyond our control. In collaborations led by Lighthouse, we are not referees but team captains: We cajole, mediate and try to model better behaviour to nudge investigative coalitions towards collectively desired outcomes. Easy wins are rare and tradeoffs routine.

Managing collaborations amid ever-changing variables requires both flexibility and structure. While there is no standard answer to each dilemma, there are certain things we can do consistently, like setting expectations upfront and being transparent about how decisions are made. Respondents have made a strong call for ethical clarity. Lighthouse will strive to take the lead in this space.

One of the more daunting suggestions raised by partners was for Lighthouse to play a bigger leadership role in the sector. This could include investing in and supporting the investigative journalism ecosystem. We are deliberating on what that leadership could look like for a lean non-profit operating within a sector reeling from drastic cuts in funding.