50 AI Prompts for JournalistsResearch Faster, Write Sharper, Grow Your Audience

Generate a list of 10 expert sources and organizations I should contact for a story about [topic]. Include their likely perspective and contact approach.

Create a background research brief on [topic] covering key facts, timeline, stakeholders, and controversies I should know before reporting.

Write 5 FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request templates for records related to [government agency or public issue].

Generate a list of 10 data sources, databases, and public records I can use to investigate [story topic].

Create a source diversity checklist to ensure my reporting on [topic] includes voices from multiple communities and perspectives.

Write a cold outreach email to a reluctant source for a sensitive story about [topic]. Make it compelling but respectful.

Generate a list of red flags and verification questions I should ask when evaluating a whistleblower tip about [claim].

Create a document analysis framework for reviewing [type of document — contracts, emails, financial records] for a story about [topic].

Write a public records request letter for [specific records] from [agency/institution] under [state/federal public records law].

Generate 10 search strings and boolean operators to help me find hidden stories and overlooked data about [topic] online.

Create 15 interview questions for [source type] about [topic]. Include follow-ups for each question.

Write an interview prep brief for a sit-down with [type of subject] about [story angle]. Include background, goals, and key gaps to fill.

Generate 10 tough follow-up questions to ask when a source gives a vague or evasive answer about [topic].

Create a profile interview question set for a story about [person's background, achievements, and motivations].

Write an off-the-record ground rules email for a source who wants anonymity in a story about [sensitive topic].

Generate an adversarial interview question set for confronting a subject about [alleged wrongdoing or controversy].

Create a listening guide for a long-form interview — 5 things to listen for that often reveal the best material.

Write a pre-interview checklist to ensure I've done enough research and have all materials ready for [interview type].

Generate 10 humanizing questions to get a subject to open up and reveal personality and story beyond their public persona.

Create a post-interview debrief template to capture key quotes, gaps to fill, and next steps immediately after an interview.

Write 10 headline variations for a story about [topic]. Include news, feature, and SEO-optimized versions.

Rewrite this lede for a [story type]: [paste your draft lede]. Make it more compelling and immediate.

Create a narrative structure outline for a long-form feature about [topic]. Include scene-setting, complication, turning point, and resolution.

Write a nut graf for a story about [topic] that clearly explains why readers should care right now.

Generate 5 alternative story angles on [topic] that haven't been widely covered yet.

Rewrite this quote into a tighter paraphrase while preserving the speaker's voice: [paste quote].

Create a fact box/sidebar for a story about [topic] with the 5 most important numbers and data points.

Write a transition sentence connecting these two paragraphs in a story about [topic]: [paste paragraphs].

Generate a headline-body alignment checklist — 5 questions to ask to ensure my headline matches my actual story.

Write a compelling first sentence for a [news/feature/opinion] story about [topic] that grabs readers immediately.

Create a fact-checking checklist for a story about [topic]. Include every claim type and the appropriate verification method.

Write a verification protocol for checking a viral social media claim about [topic] before publishing.

Generate a list of 10 reliable primary sources I should always check before publishing a story about [beat or topic].

Create a corrections policy template for a publication handling factual errors in [print/online/broadcast] stories.

Write a source credibility scorecard with criteria for evaluating the reliability of [expert, document, eyewitness, dataset].

Generate a deepfake/AI-generated content detection checklist for verifying images and videos related to [news event].

Create a pre-publication legal review checklist for a story involving [potential defamation, privacy, or copyright concerns].

Write a right-of-reply email template to send a subject before publishing allegations about them in a story about [topic].

Generate a number-checking protocol for verifying statistics, percentages, and financial figures in a data-heavy story.

Create a conflict-of-interest disclosure checklist for journalists covering [beat or story type].

Write a newsletter intro for this week's edition covering [story topic]. Make it personal, curious, and reader-focused.

Generate 5 tweet/X thread ideas to promote a long-form story about [topic] and drive readers to the full piece.

Create a LinkedIn post for a journalist sharing a new investigative story about [topic]. Make it professional but engaging.

Write an email subject line and preview text for a newsletter issue focused on [story or theme].

Generate a 30-day social media content plan for a journalist building a personal brand in the [beat/niche] space.

Create a newsletter welcome sequence (3 emails) for a journalist launching a new paid newsletter about [topic].

Write a promotional Instagram caption for a journalist sharing behind-the-scenes content from [assignment or story].

Generate 10 newsletter section ideas for a weekly roundup covering [beat] — beyond just linking to your own stories.

Create a subscriber re-engagement email for a journalist newsletter with declining open rates.

Write a pitch email for a journalist to partner with [brand/podcast/media outlet] on a sponsored content collaboration.