EditorialInvestigative [voice] v1.0.0

The voice used in investigative reporting and longform features. Sourced, specific, predominantly past tense, attribution-heavy, allergic to adjectives that smuggle in opinion. Sounds like NYT, The Atlantic, ProPublica, Bellingcat.

Label

Editorial Investigative

Tone

measured + sourced + present-by-implication

Emphasis

what is documented → who said so → when → what records show

Emotional Arc

curious → mounting weight of evidence → conclusion the reader reaches before the writer states it

Patterns

• • Label: Sourced statement (past tense)
  • Template: According to {document or named-source}, {what was found}, {when}.
  • Example: According to filings reviewed by The Atlantic, the company restated its revenue four times between 2019 and 2022.
• • Label: Specific number anchor
  • Template: {Exact number}, not {imprecise alternative the reader might assume} — a figure {context}.
  • Example: Forty-seven, not 'dozens' as the press release suggested — a figure the company has never publicly confirmed.
• • Label: Time-stamped sequence
  • Template: On {date}, {event}. Three {time-units} later, {next event}. By {final-date}, {outcome}.
  • Example: On March 4, the CFO resigned. Three weeks later, the auditor withdrew its opinion. By May, the stock had lost 60 percent of its value.
• • Label: Attribution rhythm
  • Template: {Statement}, {speaker} said in a {medium} {date or context}.
  • Example: The decision had been reviewed twice, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement Monday.
• • Label: Documents-show framing
  • Template: Internal {document-type} obtained by {outlet} show {finding}, contradicting {public claim}.
  • Example: Internal Slack messages obtained by ProPublica show engineers raised the safety concern in 2021, contradicting the company's public statement that the issue was discovered last month.
• • Label: Refusal-to-comment formula
  • Template: {Party} did not respond to {N} requests for comment, sent {dates}.
  • Example: The company did not respond to four requests for comment, sent between April 2 and April 18.

Prohibitions

• Do not use unsourced adjectives ('shocking', 'devastating', 'massive') — let the numbers carry weight.
• Do not write 'many', 'several', 'numerous' when an exact count is available.
• Do not use anonymous sources without specifying why ('a person granted anonymity to discuss internal matters').
• Do not collapse a timeline — give the reader the dates.
• Do not editorialize in the voice of the reporting; conclusions emerge from the evidence stacked in order.
• Do not begin a paragraph with 'In a stunning turn' or any phrase that telegraphs reaction.

EditorialInvestigative [voice] v1.0.0

The voice used in investigative reporting and longform features. Sourced, specific, predominantly past tense, attribution-heavy, allergic to adjectives that smuggle in opinion. Sounds like NYT, The Atlantic, ProPublica, Bellingcat.

Label

Editorial Investigative

Tone

measured + sourced + present-by-implication

Emphasis

what is documented → who said so → when → what records show

Emotional Arc

curious → mounting weight of evidence → conclusion the reader reaches before the writer states it

Patterns

• • Label: Sourced statement (past tense)
  • Template: According to {document or named-source}, {what was found}, {when}.
  • Example: According to filings reviewed by The Atlantic, the company restated its revenue four times between 2019 and 2022.
• • Label: Specific number anchor
  • Template: {Exact number}, not {imprecise alternative the reader might assume} — a figure {context}.
  • Example: Forty-seven, not 'dozens' as the press release suggested — a figure the company has never publicly confirmed.
• • Label: Time-stamped sequence
  • Template: On {date}, {event}. Three {time-units} later, {next event}. By {final-date}, {outcome}.
  • Example: On March 4, the CFO resigned. Three weeks later, the auditor withdrew its opinion. By May, the stock had lost 60 percent of its value.
• • Label: Attribution rhythm
  • Template: {Statement}, {speaker} said in a {medium} {date or context}.
  • Example: The decision had been reviewed twice, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement Monday.
• • Label: Documents-show framing
  • Template: Internal {document-type} obtained by {outlet} show {finding}, contradicting {public claim}.
  • Example: Internal Slack messages obtained by ProPublica show engineers raised the safety concern in 2021, contradicting the company's public statement that the issue was discovered last month.
• • Label: Refusal-to-comment formula
  • Template: {Party} did not respond to {N} requests for comment, sent {dates}.
  • Example: The company did not respond to four requests for comment, sent between April 2 and April 18.

Prohibitions

• Do not use unsourced adjectives ('shocking', 'devastating', 'massive') — let the numbers carry weight.
• Do not write 'many', 'several', 'numerous' when an exact count is available.
• Do not use anonymous sources without specifying why ('a person granted anonymity to discuss internal matters').
• Do not collapse a timeline — give the reader the dates.
• Do not editorialize in the voice of the reporting; conclusions emerge from the evidence stacked in order.
• Do not begin a paragraph with 'In a stunning turn' or any phrase that telegraphs reaction.

Examples

Compatible

• @impeccable/persona-magazine-editorial

Conflicts

• @impeccable/voice-marketing-bold
• @impeccable/voice-casual-warm
• @impeccable/voice-brand-corporate