Sara Fritz retired in 2004, following a long career in Washington with the Los Angeles Times and other publications, and became an author and freelance writer. She spoke with PRWeek about her in-depth series for the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity on the influence of third-party groups on presidential elections.

PRWeek: What's been the impact of these reports in the past?

Fritz: They've had a strong impact because they are the one place people can go for that kind of information. The project ...