WyoFile
 | |
| Formation | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit (501(c)(3)) |
| Tax ID no. | 27-0410642 |
| Purpose | Covering politics |
| Headquarters | Lander, Wyoming |
Region served | Wyoming |
| Affiliations | Institute for Nonprofit News States Newsroom |
| Revenue |  $1.15 million (2023) |
| Expenses | $1.27 million (2023) |
| Website | Official website |
WyoFile is a nonprofit news organization covering Wyoming news and politics founded in 2008, and incorporated in 2009. The stated mission of WyoFile is to inform and engage Wyoming through in-depth reporting in the public interest. [1]
WyoFile was conceived when Rone Tempest and other recently retired journalists in Wyoming were conversing about the decline of local media. They imagined a digital focused organization which could cover news across the state.[2] Early on, WyoFile's writing was done predominantly by freelancers, and the organization frequently faced insolvency, however by 2011 it had gained 2 full time staffers.[3][2] Its first grant was from the George B. Storer Foundation.[2] In 2022, 56% of WyoFile's revenue came from individual donors.[2] The newspaper has also gotten funding from philanthropic organizations like the Knight Foundation and American Journalism Project.[4][5] The organization employed 16 people as of July 2026.[6]
Notable stories
[edit]In 2008, Rone Tempest filed the first in a series of stories uncovering financial mismanagement at North American Power Group, eventually leading to a $14.4 million dollar fine and 18-month sentencing of Michael J. Ruffatto.[7]
In late 2021, Angus M. Thuermer Jr. published a story about a group of Missouri hunters who crossed from one section of public land to another parcel at a spot where the corners meet in an act known as corner crossing. Formally known as Iron Bar Holdings, LLC v. Cape, the case was a landmark legal dispute in Carbon County, Wyoming. It established that it is legal for the public to step over the corners where public and private lands meet—without physically touching private land—to access public property.[8]
Reporting by Tennessee Watson (WyoFile), Kamila Kudelska (Wyoming Public Media) and Jennifer Kocher exposed workplace harassment, discrimination and retaliation at the Wyoming National Guard headquarters.[9] Their reporting led to the passage of two pieces of legislation in 2022 and a governor-established executive oversight committee.[10]
Maggie Mullen and Jasmine Hall’s (Jackson Hole News & Guide) coverage of "Checkgate"[11] spurred legislative and criminal investigations, the expansion of legislative ethics training, and an executive order from Gov. Mark Gordon to ban the solicitation, delivery or acceptance of campaign contributions in state buildings and on executive branch-controlled property.[12]
Awards
[edit]- Top of Rockies
- Society of Environmental Journalists
- 2020 2nd Place, National Reporting
- 2020 3rd Place, Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding Investigative Reporting[16]
References
[edit]- ↑ "About". WyoFile. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- 1 2 3 4 "How WyoFile accelerated growth with community buy-in and grant funding". Institute for Nonprofit News. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ↑ Fekula, Alex. "WyoFile". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ↑ "Wyoming regional media nonprofit WyoFile has been diving deep into local news for almost ten years". Nieman Lab. Archived from the original on 2025-02-13. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ↑ Staff, Oil City (2019-12-16). "Independent nonprofit news outlet WyoFile awarded major grant". Oil City News. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ↑ "Staff". WyoFile. 2026-07-13. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Tempest, Rone (2018-07-10). "Two Elk: The story behind the story". WyoFile. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ↑ "Understanding the Corner Crossing Decision and the UIA". www.uwyo.edu. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Kocher, Tennessee Watson, Kamila Kudelska-Wyoming Public Media, Jennifer (2021-10-07). "Whistleblowers: Workplace discrimination and retaliation plague Wyo National Guard". WyoFile. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Legislative Service Office". www.wyoleg.gov. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ News&Guide, Maggie Mullen, Jasmine Hall, Jackson Hole (2026-02-12). "Conservative activist hands checks to lawmakers on Wyoming House floor. Controversy erupts". WyoFile. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon". governor.wyo.gov. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ staff, WyoFile (2024-05-10). "WyoFile tops 2024 Top of the Rockies journalism awards". WyoFile. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Watson, Tennessee (2025-04-14). "WyoFile takes home 36 Top of the Rockies journalism awards". WyoFile. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ Watson, Tennessee (2026-04-28). "WyoFile brings home 34 Top of the Rockies journalism awards". WyoFile. Retrieved 2026-07-14.
- ↑ staff, WyoFile (2020-08-11). "WyoFile's Thuermer wins high-profile journalism award". WyoFile. Retrieved 2025-10-07.