Investigative journalism is slow, expensive, and legally risky — but it's essential to democracy. This page explains how we conduct investigations, from the first tip to publication, and how we protect the sources who make accountability journalism possible.
A typical investigation takes 3-12 months from initial tip to publication. Here's what happens at each phase:
Investigations begin with a tip from a whistleblower, a public records request, a pattern noticed in data, or a lead from another news organization. We evaluate every tip for newsworthiness, verifiability, and public interest.
We file public records requests, review court documents, analyze data sets, and interview sources with direct knowledge. This phase can take weeks or months depending on the complexity of the story.
We interview sources on the record, on background, and under conditions of anonymity when necessary. Every source is vetted for credibility, and claims are corroborated by documents or additional sources.
Every factual claim is verified by at least two independent sources. Statistics are traced to their original source. Legal review is conducted for stories involving serious allegations.
Individuals and organizations subject to critical coverage are contacted with specific questions and given a reasonable deadline to respond. Their responses are included in the published piece.
The investigation is reviewed by a senior editor and, for major investigations, the Editor-in-Chief. Final edits are made, and the piece is published with full source attribution and methodology disclosure.
Built on leaked documents, court records, regulatory filings, or public records obtained through FOIA. Examples: Panama Papers, Pentagon Papers, Facebook Files.
Use large data sets — government databases, corporate records, or scraped public information — to identify patterns of wrongdoing. Examples: ProPublica's nursing home investigation, Reuters' police misconduct database.
Built on interviews with whistleblowers, victims, or insiders with direct knowledge. Requires extensive corroboration. Examples: Weinstein/#MeToo, Epstein trafficking.
Multiple news organizations pool resources, share documents, and coordinate publication. Examples: ICIJ's offshore leaks investigations, Pegasus Project.
Protecting confidential sources is not just an ethical obligation — it's a legal and constitutional right. Without source protection, whistleblowers cannot safely expose wrongdoing. Our source protection protocols include:
We will go to jail before revealing a confidential source. We follow the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press guidelines on source protection and will contest any subpoena seeking source identity.
We offer SecureDrop (Tor-based anonymous submission), PGP-encrypted email, and Signal for encrypted messaging. We do not log IP addresses or metadata for tip submissions.
We have legal counsel on retainer to defend against subpoenas, SLAPP suits, and other legal intimidation tactics. We notify sources of legal demands where legally permitted.
Documents are stored in encrypted, air-gapped systems. Sensitive meetings occur in secure locations. We follow operational security protocols to protect sources from surveillance.
Investigative journalism is slow by design. Rushing to publish increases the risk of errors, legal liability, and harm to innocent people. Here's why investigations take months, not days:
The alternative — publishing unverified claims quickly — is not journalism. It's rumor-mongering, and it destroys credibility.
We welcome tips from whistleblowers, victims, and members of the public who have evidence of wrongdoing. All tips are reviewed by our editorial team.
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