Use it to find the original filing, organize a document pile, compare what sources say, and prepare questions that expose gaps. The reporter still decides what is credible, requests comment, and stands behind every sentence that goes to publication.
01
A reporting lead becomes useful when it has a source map.
A tip is not yet a story.
Before drafting, map the people involved, the records that could establish the claim, the institutions that may respond, and the questions each source can actually answer.
02
Long documents should produce a reading path, not a false conclusion.
Court filings, reports, meeting minutes, and data releases can be hundreds of pages long.
Strawberry can locate names, dates, contradictions, and relevant passages, then link each observation back to the original material so the reporter can read it in context.
03
Interviews get better when the unanswered facts are visible.
A generic interview brief repeats public biography.
A useful one identifies the exact allegation, timeline break, missing document, and statement that needs an attributable response before a deadline.
04
The draft needs a separate verification pass.
Writing and checking are different jobs.
Before publication, ask the agent to create a claim ledger: every factual statement, the supporting source, the date checked, and the points that still require a call, document, or editor’s review.
Yes. AI can help locate sources, organize documents, build chronologies, and identify questions, but it does not replace independent verification.
It can locate and compare quoted passages, but a reporter should check the original source, context, speaker, and date before publication.
It can work with documents and browser pages you provide or open, helping surface relevant passages and organize them for review.
Yes. Give it the reporting material and ask for questions tied to specific sources, gaps, and claims requiring a response.
A clearly scoped source scan can be saved as a skill and scheduled as a routine, with a human deciding what warrants reporting.
No. Treat confidential communications and identifying material carefully, control what you share, and follow your newsroom’s source-protection practices.