REPORTER RESOURCES

The Writers’ Room

Welcome to the Writers’ Room, where The Hatch Institute provides free tips and tricks for burgeoning investigative journalists. Here, seasoned experts give helpful hints and invaluable advice on things like research, sourcing, pitching, and more. To access more content and exclusive resources, we invite you to register with The Hatch Institute.

Two Hatch-Affiliated Journalists Win IRE Awards

Reporter Resources

A Reporting Lapse, and What It Means for Journalism

My Take On How Pete Hamill Lived

How a Story on a Shady Russian Oligarch Came About

A tribute to Pete Hamill

Pete Hamill, the iconic writer who told stories of the abused and powerless, also stepped up for fellow journalists. Here's what he did for me.

Crippling damage

THE NUMBER OF DISABLED AMERICANS WHO DIE OR GO BROKE WHILE FIGHTING FOR BENEFITS AN 'UNCONSCIONABLE' TOLL

Reporter Resources

Ms. Write

WOMEN ARE THE NEW STARS OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

Reporter Resources

Storytelling Illustrated

Even if you don't care for sports, Sports Illustrated will hook you with its superb writing.

Sy of the Times

IN A TEXTBOOK MEMOIR ON HOW TO REPORT, LEGENDARY INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST SEYMOUR HERSH REVEALS HIS METHODS, WALKING US THROUGH HIS BIGGEST SCOOPS AND WORST MISTAKES

How I Got the Story: “How a New Policy Led to Seven Deadly Drugs”

JOURNALIST DAVID WILLMAN REFLECTS ON WHAT IT TOOK TO REPORT OUT HIS AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE STORY, WHICH WON THE 2001 PULITZER PRIZE FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

What’s the Outlook for Young Journalists?

INSIGHTS BY KYLE POPE, EDITOR OF THE COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW, ON THE CHANGING FACE OF JOURNALISM—AND THE STRUGGLE TO BECOME A REPORTER

An Interview with John Carreyrou

We chat with the Pulitzer Prize winner and author on how he unraveled the scandalous story of Elizabeth Holmes and her Silicon Valley start-up.

How to Pitch an Investigative Story

MANY A FREELANCER HAS CONDEMNED HERSELF TO AN EDITOR’S BLACKLIST FOR NOT FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED PITCH PROTOCOLS.

The Necessity of Background Research in Reporting

MANY A REPORTER MAY HAVE A TIP OR A HUNCH AND HEAD OFF FOR THE RACES WITHOUT DOING THE MOST BASIC AND FUNDAMENTAL STEP REQUIRED IN REPORTING: MASTERING...

How I Got the Story: Exploitation of American Military

RENOWNED JOURNALIST DIANA B. HENRIQUES SHARES WHAT IT TOOK TO REPORT HER AWARD-WINNING SERIES THAT EXPOSED HOW MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY WERE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY SHADY...

How I Got the Story: In God’s Name

SEVERE ABUSE, ISOLATION CELLS, STOMACH-CHURNING FOOD—ALEXANDRA ZAYAS COVERED IT ALL IN HER PULITZER-FINALIST SERIES, "IN GOD'S NAME." GAIN INSIGHTS FROM HER REPORTING JOURNEY HERE.

A Vintage Way to Find Sources

AN OLD-SCHOOL METHOD OF GETTING NUMBERS CAN STILL BE YOUR BEST TOOL FOR FINDING SOURCES

Sara Stewart: What I Learned Working with The Hatch Institute

SARA STEWART ON THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH THE HATCH INSITUTE.

How to Use All My Tweets

Hate it or love it, social media platforms, perhaps none moreso than Twitter, have become a driving factor for many a news stories.

How to Use CourtListener

For a journalist, there are few more illuminating resources than court filings and documents.

How to use LexisNexis Biographies

LexisNexis is known to most journalists. But it’s often a little-understood and overlooked tool whose power rests in how well you can master its various functions.

Bring Out Your Dead

WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK THE FBI FOR ITS FILES ON THE DECEASED

Nikole Hannah-Jones

NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES, IN ADDITION TO BEING A RECIPIENT OF A MACARTHUR GENIUS GRANT, IS A MUST-READ JOURNALIST WHO CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT UNDERREPORTED FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION.

How to Obtain Gun Permit Records

YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE FOR REPORTERS TO OBTAIN LISTS OF AREA GUN OWNERS―INFORMATION THAT CAN OFTEN YIELD INTERESTING INFORMATION.

Friday Reads: The Weinstein Investigation

CHRONICLING SEXUAL ABUSE CAN BE A TIGHT ROPE TO WALK, BUT THE NEW YORK TIMES' LATEST INVESTIGATION IS A MASTER CLASS IN HOW TO APPROACH THE TOPIC.

Trump Insights: The Press

DONALD TRUMP USES THE PRESS LIKE NO ONE HAS BEFORE, AND HE MASTERED THAT CRAFT EVEN BEFORE STEPPING INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA.

Tweet Dreams

HOW TO HANDLE TWITTER AS A SOURCE - When reporting on trends, developing news and emerging scandals, it’s tough to beat tweets.

How I Got the Story: Breathless and Burdened

SEVERELY SICK MINERS. SHADY LEGAL PRACTICES. NEGLIGENT COMPANIES. PULITZER-WINNING JOURNALIST CHRIS HAMBY COVERED IT ALL WHILE REPORTING IN COAL COUNTRY.

How I Got the Story: Insane. Invisible. In Danger.

PULITZER-WINNING JOURNALIST LEONORA LAPETER ANTON TAKES US BEHIND THE SCENES OF HER REPORTAGE OF NEGLIGENT MENTAL INSTITUTIONS IN FLORIDA.

Citizen Journalism

WITH FAKE NEWS AND MISINFORMATION AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, HERE’S HOW YOU CAN STEP UP — AND HOLD OUR LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE

Finding Sources

SOMETIMES THE SIMPLE ACT OF FINDING A PERSON, WHETHER A WAR CRIMINAL, A WITNESS, A SPY, AN EXECUTIVE, A PRODIGY, A HERO, OR A FAMOUS JOURNALIST, IS THE...

Talking to Sources

CONVINCING STRANGERS TO GIVE UP INFORMATION IS FUNDAMENTAL TO JOURNALISM, AND IT'S AN INDISPENSABLE SKILL YOU'LL NEED TO LEARN.

Scam City

This under-the-radar "tax" is a big reason why housing costs are soaring

Football as a symbol of D.C. dysfunction

Two Hatch-Affiliated Journalists Win IRE Awards

My Take On How Pete Hamill Lived

How a Story on a Shady Russian Oligarch Came About

A tribute to Pete Hamill

Pete Hamill, the iconic writer who told stories of the abused and powerless, also stepped up for fellow journalists. Here's what he did for me.

Math Wizard’s Pandemic Solve

A Russian refusenik is using algorithms to cure what's killing American hospitals: chaos amid emergencies like the Covid-19 crisis.

Dying, Going Broke: A Report
on the Fate of the Disabled

Crippling damage

THE NUMBER OF DISABLED AMERICANS WHO DIE OR GO BROKE WHILE FIGHTING FOR BENEFITS AN 'UNCONSCIONABLE' TOLL

Murky Waters

Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to transform Gowanus could be a developer's dream or an environmental nightmare.

Steinway Buyers: We Got Played

The company relies on lies to sell its pianos, customers claim. Our probe reveals disturbing practices at the iconic instrument maker.

Deadbeateries

One quarter of New York’s famed diners rip off their workers, paying as little as $2.50 an hour. Here’s how law-breaking owners get away with it.

Glass Ceiling Rank

How does pay equality differ accross the states? Check out this interactive graphic to learn about the different ranks.

What are the Chances?

Taking a look a figures that don't add up. This one delves into baseball players.

NFL Name Game

We delve into some similarily named NFL players.

Hue Can Do It!

Exploring the colorful history of jerseys.

Who’s Lying?

One critic's take on Ford vs. Kavanaugh, and which one you should believe.

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Rudy Giuliani

You may think you know a lot about Trump's star lawyer, but there are a lot of facts you probably never heard.

Judge Kimba Wood has History of Bias

Trump supporters slam judge as biased over Hillary link, but she also has ties to the President.

Trump Insights: Appearance

Culled from the many books and magazine articles written about Donald J. Trump, this series aims to reveal some of the influences and qualities that form the character...

Trump Insights: The True Trump

The true Trump from the journalist who knows him best.

Trump Insights: Family Legacy

Family legacy: Donald's duplicitous father cheated veterans and American tax-payers. His grandfather got rich as a pimp.

Sy of the Times

IN A TEXTBOOK MEMOIR ON HOW TO REPORT, LEGENDARY INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST SEYMOUR HERSH REVEALS HIS METHODS, WALKING US THROUGH HIS BIGGEST SCOOPS AND WORST MISTAKES

Rob-heir Barons

Predators are stealing entire family fortunes, conning the elderly and infirm out of billions in life savings. Here’s how they do it, and why they rarely get caught.

How I Got the Story: “How a New Policy Led to Seven Deadly Drugs”

JOURNALIST DAVID WILLMAN REFLECTS ON WHAT IT TOOK TO REPORT OUT HIS AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE STORY, WHICH WON THE 2001 PULITZER PRIZE FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

What’s the Outlook for Young Journalists?

INSIGHTS BY KYLE POPE, EDITOR OF THE COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW, ON THE CHANGING FACE OF JOURNALISM—AND THE STRUGGLE TO BECOME A REPORTER

An Interview with John Carreyrou

We chat with the Pulitzer Prize winner and author on how he unraveled the scandalous story of Elizabeth Holmes and her Silicon Valley start-up.

How to Pitch an Investigative Story

MANY A FREELANCER HAS CONDEMNED HERSELF TO AN EDITOR’S BLACKLIST FOR NOT FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED PITCH PROTOCOLS.

The Necessity of Background Research in Reporting

MANY A REPORTER MAY HAVE A TIP OR A HUNCH AND HEAD OFF FOR THE RACES WITHOUT DOING THE MOST BASIC AND FUNDAMENTAL STEP REQUIRED IN REPORTING: MASTERING...

How I Got the Story: Exploitation of American Military

RENOWNED JOURNALIST DIANA B. HENRIQUES SHARES WHAT IT TOOK TO REPORT HER AWARD-WINNING SERIES THAT EXPOSED HOW MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY WERE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY SHADY...

A Vintage Way to Find Sources

AN OLD-SCHOOL METHOD OF GETTING NUMBERS CAN STILL BE YOUR BEST TOOL FOR FINDING SOURCES

We Expose the Government’s Glass Ceiling—And What Can Be Done About It

WE SENT FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS TO EVERY STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCY ASKING FOR PAYROLL DATA.

How to Use All My Tweets

Hate it or love it, social media platforms, perhaps none moreso than Twitter, have become a driving factor for many a news stories.

How to Use CourtListener

For a journalist, there are few more illuminating resources than court filings and documents.

How to use LexisNexis Biographies

LexisNexis is known to most journalists. But it’s often a little-understood and overlooked tool whose power rests in how well you can master its various functions.

Bring Out Your Dead

WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK THE FBI FOR ITS FILES ON THE DECEASED

Nikole Hannah-Jones

NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES, IN ADDITION TO BEING A RECIPIENT OF A MACARTHUR GENIUS GRANT, IS A MUST-READ JOURNALIST WHO CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT UNDERREPORTED FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION.

How to Obtain Gun Permit Records

YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE FOR REPORTERS TO OBTAIN LISTS OF AREA GUN OWNERS―INFORMATION THAT CAN OFTEN YIELD INTERESTING INFORMATION.

Friday Reads: The Weinstein Investigation

CHRONICLING SEXUAL ABUSE CAN BE A TIGHT ROPE TO WALK, BUT THE NEW YORK TIMES' LATEST INVESTIGATION IS A MASTER CLASS IN HOW TO APPROACH THE TOPIC.

Trump Insights: The Press

DONALD TRUMP USES THE PRESS LIKE NO ONE HAS BEFORE, AND HE MASTERED THAT CRAFT EVEN BEFORE STEPPING INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA.

Tweet Dreams

HOW TO HANDLE TWITTER AS A SOURCE - When reporting on trends, developing news and emerging scandals, it’s tough to beat tweets.

Mafia Don

HOW THE TRUMP PROBE LOOKS JUST LIKE A MOB CASE

Frack Off!

How a mother and daughter battled a drilling company to protect their town's drinking water -- and created a new model for environmental activism.

How I Got the Story: Breathless and Burdened

SEVERELY SICK MINERS. SHADY LEGAL PRACTICES. NEGLIGENT COMPANIES. PULITZER-WINNING JOURNALIST CHRIS HAMBY COVERED IT ALL WHILE REPORTING IN COAL COUNTRY.

How I Got the Story: Insane. Invisible. In Danger.

PULITZER-WINNING JOURNALIST LEONORA LAPETER ANTON TAKES US BEHIND THE SCENES OF HER REPORTAGE OF NEGLIGENT MENTAL INSTITUTIONS IN FLORIDA.

Citizen Journalism

WITH FAKE NEWS AND MISINFORMATION AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, HERE’S HOW YOU CAN STEP UP — AND HOLD OUR LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE

ISIS Wants Me

HOW TERROR RECRUITERS IN EGYPT TARGET ONE MAN FACED WITH A CHOICE: KILL CIVILIANS OR GAMBLE WITH HIS LIFE IN PROFITEER SMUGGLING.

Adoptation

NO LONGER CLOAKED IN SECRECY, TODAY’S ADOPTIONS INVOLVE JUST ABOUT EVERYONE.

Finding Sources

SOMETIMES THE SIMPLE ACT OF FINDING A PERSON, WHETHER A WAR CRIMINAL, A WITNESS, A SPY, AN EXECUTIVE, A PRODIGY, A HERO, OR A FAMOUS JOURNALIST, IS THE...

License to Spy

THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CAMERAS FOLLOWING YOU, ANYONE CAN WATCH, AND IT’S ALL LEGAL

Talking to Sources

CONVINCING STRANGERS TO GIVE UP INFORMATION IS FUNDAMENTAL TO JOURNALISM, AND IT'S AN INDISPENSABLE SKILL YOU'LL NEED TO LEARN.

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When you register with The Hatch Institute, you gain entry to an array of journalistic resources, from mentorships, access to the LexisNexis database, and more.

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BECOME A MENTOR

Support an
Up-and-Coming Reporter

We have a network of veterans to mentor the next generation of great investigative reporters. If you're an experienced reporter and are interested in being a mentor to younger journalists, please contact us.

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PITCH A STORY

Have an Idea for Hatch’s Next Big Story?

We fund investigative stories that give voice to the voiceless and hold power to account. If you have a story you'd like to write for us, or want to share any tips/documents, please let us know.

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