The internet-driven transformation in journalistic modes of production has favored new arrangements that impact the centrality of larger organizations. The authority of professionalism has been undermined in an environment of growing and proactive disinformation, driven by algorithms that disrupt the trustworthiness of established media. Meanwhile, inspired by the philosophy of the open-source movement and by the possibilities offered by big data, non-profit journalism agencies have also expanded their territory to digital platforms adopting open data journalism – which we propose as a nomenclature – as a means of reinforcing credibility through transparency. Guided by the paradigm of public interest, the agencies The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Gênero e Número and Agência Pública are examples of organizations that have taken this road. Based on experimental methodology, anchored in indicators developed for the purposes of the research, we drew inferences on the extent to which these agencies offer transparency, leading to further findings about newsgathering methods based on the criteria regarding rigor and evidence. Supported by the newsmaking theory, the model served as a parameter for assessment of attributes and the observation of efforts to build reliable narratives. To carry out the study, 135 reporting fields were analyzed and six in-depth interviews were conducted. The content analysis indicated four categories: documental value; fact-checking within the readership. The latter takes us to the heart of the hypothesis, namely, the verification based on open sources, measured from what can be called methodology of transparency. The result revealed high transparency for Agência Pública, medium transparency for Gênero e Número and low transparency for TBIJ.