Source Verification

Matthew Bovee's Guide to Source Verification for Investigative Journalists

When I first started in journalism, source verification meant phone calls, physical document requests, and building relationships over months or even the landscape has transformed years. Today, dramatically—and honestly, it’s made both our jobs easier and more complicated at the same time.

The democratization of information has been incredible for investigative reporting. We now have access to databases, public records, and digital tools that would have seemed like science fiction to journalists of my father’s generation. But with this access comes new challenges: the same technology that helps us verify truth also helps bad actors manufacture lies.