Source development is a core journalism skill — and one of the most time-consuming. AI agents that map the relevant expert, official, and community source landscape for a story topic can compress days of source research into minutes, freeing the journalist for the relationship-building and interview work that actually produces the story.
The Source Research Prompt
For any story, use: "Map the relevant sources for a story about [topic]. Include: (1) 5 academic or research experts with their institutional affiliation and why they are relevant, (2) 3 key government or regulatory officials by title (not necessarily named), (3) 3 relevant community organisations or advocacy groups, (4) 3 industry practitioners with relevant expertise, (5) 2 critics or sceptics who represent the strongest counterargument. For each, include how to find their public contact information. Exclude PR representatives in favour of primary sources." Treat all suggested sources as starting points — verify credentials, currency, and relevance before outreach.