ChatGPT Prompts for Journalists

Prepare a comprehensive interview brief for my upcoming conversation with {{interviewee_name}}, who is {{interviewee_role_and_context}}.

Story context: {{story_description}}
Angle I am pursuing: {{story_angle}}
What I already know: {{existing_knowledge}}
Interview format: {{format}} (e.g., in-person 30 min, phone 15 min, email Q&A)

Generate:
1. Background research summary — key facts about this person, their public positions on the topic, any previous statements or controversies relevant to the story
2. 15-20 interview questions organized in this order:
   - 2-3 rapport-building openers (genuine, not generic)
   - 5-6 core questions that advance the story angle
   - 3-4 follow-up questions for likely responses or deflections
   - 2-3 accountability questions (harder questions saved for when rapport is established)
   - 1 closing question that gives them a chance to add anything
3. Potential landmines — topics they are likely to deflect on, and suggested redirect strategies
4. Key documents or data points to reference during the interview
5. Quotes from their previous public statements that I can ask them to expand on or reconcile

Flag any claims in your background research that I should independently verify before the interview. Do NOT fabricate quotes or attribute statements you are not certain about — mark uncertain items clearly.

Create a detailed article outline for the following story:

Topic: {{topic}}
Angle: {{angle}}
Publication: {{publication}} (style: {{publication_style}})
Target length: {{word_count}} words
Deadline: {{deadline}}
Audience: {{audience}}

Sources I have:
{{available_sources}}

Key facts established so far:
{{key_facts}}

Generate:
1. A working headline and 2 alternative options
2. A lede (opening paragraph) — write 3 options:
   - Anecdotal lede (scene-setting)
   - Summary lede (hard news style)
   - Question lede (provocative opening)
3. Section-by-section outline with:
   - Section heading / purpose
   - Key points to cover
   - Which source supports each point
   - Suggested transitions between sections
4. A "nut graf" — the paragraph that tells the reader why this story matters now
5. Suggested kicker (closing) — 2 options (circular return to lede, or forward-looking)
6. Gaps analysis — what information is still missing and what sources could fill those gaps
7. Potential counterarguments or opposing viewpoints to address for balance

Structure this as a {{article_type}} (e.g., news analysis, feature, investigative, profile, explainer).

Create a fact-check verification plan for the following claims in my article:

Article topic: {{article_topic}}
Publication date: {{publication_date}}

Claims to verify:
{{claims_list}}

For each claim, provide:
1. The specific assertion being made
2. What type of evidence would confirm or debunk it (document, data, expert testimony, public record)
3. Three specific sources to check (databases, government records, academic papers, organizations) — include URLs or access instructions where possible
4. Common misconceptions or misinterpretations related to this claim
5. How to determine if the claim is: fully verified, partially true, misleading, or unverifiable
6. The confidence level of your own assessment (high / medium / low) and why

Also generate:
- A master checklist I can print and work through
- Red flags to watch for (cherry-picked statistics, correlation-causation errors, outdated data presented as current)
- Suggested language for the article if a claim cannot be fully verified (attribution, hedging, transparency)

IMPORTANT: If you are unsure about any factual claim, say so explicitly. Do not present uncertain information as verified. Mark any items where your training data may be outdated.

Evaluate the following sources for my story on {{story_topic}}. For each source, assess their credibility and usefulness for the article.

Sources to evaluate:
{{sources_list}}

For each source, analyze:
1. Credibility assessment:
   - Expertise: What qualifies them to speak on this topic?
   - Potential bias: What interests, affiliations, or funding could influence their perspective?
   - Track record: Have they been reliable in previous reporting? Any retractions or controversies?
   - Access: Do they have direct knowledge or are they interpreting secondhand information?
2. Usefulness rating (1-5): How central is this source to the story?
3. What this source can provide that no other source can
4. What this source is likely to say vs. what I need them to confirm
5. Risks of relying on this source (legal, reputational, accuracy)
6. Corroboration needed: What other sources should confirm key claims from this source?

Then provide:
- A source map showing which sources corroborate each other and where there are conflicts
- Gaps: Perspectives or expertise missing from my source list
- Suggested additional sources to seek (by role/expertise, not specific names if you cannot verify they exist)
- An on-the-record vs. background recommendation for each source

Story context: {{story_context}}
Story angle: {{story_angle}}
Publication type: {{publication_type}}

Generate headline options for the following article:

Story summary: {{story_summary}}
Key finding or news: {{key_finding}}
Publication: {{publication_name}}
Publication style: {{style}} (e.g., tabloid, broadsheet, digital-native, magazine)
Section: {{section}} (e.g., front page, business, opinion, features)
Character limit: {{character_limit}}
SEO keyword (if digital): {{seo_keyword}}

Generate 10 headlines in these categories:
1. Straight news (2 options) — who did what, clear and direct
2. Feature/narrative (2 options) — evocative, draws the reader into a story
3. Question format (2 options) — poses the central question the story answers
4. Data-driven (2 options) — leads with the most striking number or statistic
5. Provocative/opinion (2 options) — takes a stance or challenges assumptions

For each headline:
- Note the word count and character count
- Rate its clickability (1-5) and clarity (1-5) — a headline can be clickable but unclear, which is a problem
- Suggest a matching subheadline / deck (1-2 sentences) that complements it
- Flag if it could be perceived as misleading or sensationalized

Then recommend your top 3 picks and explain why they would perform best for this publication's audience.

Help me organize and prioritize investigative leads for my ongoing story:

Investigation topic: {{investigation_topic}}
Working thesis: {{working_thesis}}
Time invested so far: {{time_invested}}
Resources available: {{resources}} (e.g., FOIA budget, travel budget, team size)

Current leads and tips:
{{leads_list}}

For each lead, analyze and categorize:
1. Priority level (high / medium / low) based on:
   - Potential impact if the lead pans out
   - Likelihood of yielding usable information
   - Resource investment required (time, money, legal risk)
2. Next action — the single most important step to advance this lead
3. Required resources (FOIA request, travel, database access, legal review)
4. Timeline estimate to develop this lead
5. What this lead could prove or disprove in the larger story
6. Dead-end indicators — signs that it is time to stop pursuing this thread

Also provide:
- A recommended investigation sequence (which leads to pursue first and why)
- Connections between leads that might indicate a larger pattern
- Public records and databases to search for corroborating evidence
- Legal considerations (shield law applicability, defamation risk, source protection)
- A decision framework for when to publish what I have vs. continue investigating

Assume I am an experienced reporter — focus on strategic advice, not basic journalism instructions.