Background research is typically the most time-consuming pre-writing task for journalists. AI tools can compress 3–6 hours of archive searching, interview prep, and context-building into 15–30 minutes — but only with prompts designed to produce source-complete, verifiable output rather than AI-generated summaries that look authoritative but aren't.
The Five Essential Background Research Prompts
1. The Timeline Prompt: "Create a chronological timeline of [topic] from [start date] to [end date]. Include only verified events with source citations for each entry." 2. The Key Players Prompt: "List the key stakeholders in [situation]: individuals, organisations, and government bodies. For each, provide their role, current position, and any known conflicts of interest. Cite sources." 3. The Previous Coverage Prompt: "What are the most significant previous news stories about [topic]? Provide headlines, publication names, dates, and a one-sentence summary of each. Do not invent sources." 4. The Expert Map Prompt: "Who are the five leading experts on [topic]? Include their institutional affiliation, relevant credentials, and how to find their contact information or public profiles." 5. The Data Sources Prompt: "What public datasets, government reports, or academic studies contain reliable data about [topic]? Provide specific source names, URLs if available, and the types of data they contain."
Key Prompt Rules
Every background research prompt should: require source citations explicitly, specify a date range where relevant, prohibit invented sources ("do not invent sources"), and ask for specific rather than general information. These constraints produce dramatically more reliable output than open-ended prompts.