Features
I-90 tunnel collapse: an infrastructure failure briefing
An infrastructure failure background briefing on Boston’s I-90 tunnel collapse: the NTSB’s cause finding, key project parties, and what its record establishes.
Archive
October 2026
Rules
Explanatory package problems: from a vague scope to stale updates
Explanatory package problems diagnosed with practical fixes for scope, repetition, chronology, source drift, visual context, false balance, and stale updates.
Maintenance
8 things a background briefing checklist has to cover
Background briefing checklist for scope, source support, chronology, institutions, definitions, data, visuals, attribution, uncertainty, updates, and final review.
Reviews
Context elements compared, from timelines to maps to glossaries
Context elements compared by reader need, evidence demands, strengths, and risks, including timelines, process guides, maps, data, glossaries, and profiles.
Guides
How to build an explanatory package without repeating one article nine times
Explanatory news package workflow for defining the audience, assigning components, checking evidence, coordinating visuals, editing, publishing, and updating.
Guides
Background Briefing Guide for Newsrooms
A background briefing guide for newsrooms: frame reader questions, set scope, organize context, label evidence, track updates, and review for clarity.
Rules
9 attribution problems that quietly distort expert quotes
Attribution and expert reporting problems with fixes for title inflation, source laundering, missing conflicts, quote drift, false balance, and vague officials.
Maintenance
Expert source checklist: what to confirm before quoting anyone
Attribution and expert-source checklist for checking authority, evidence, document status, field, methods, interests, quotation context, anonymity, and updates.
Reviews
Source materials, ranked: from press releases to sworn testimony
Source materials ranked from weakest to strongest, from press releases and statements up to sworn testimony, with what each can prove on its own.
Guides
How to check an expert's funding before quoting their opinion
How to check an expert's funding with CMS Open Payments, NIH RePORTER, NSF Award Search, SEC EDGAR, patent and nonprofit records, and lobbying disclosures.