Complete AI Training
Sign inGet my AI kit

Your job's AI kit

Get your AI kit

Tell us who you are and what you do. We show you your kit right away and email you the link: skills, prompts, AI agents, MCP servers and courses for your job.

500+ jobs ready, and we make a kit for any other job. No payment needed to look.

Share

AI agent for journalists

Story Impact and Follow-up Tracker Agent

A running record of a story's impact with sourced developments and a follow-up plan

MonitoringWriters
See how it worksGet access
Story Impact and Follow-up Tracker Agent: what goes in, what the agent does and what you get

What it does

Many stories end at publication, and the reporter never learns whether they changed anything. This agent tracks reactions, official responses, hearings, policy changes and corrections after a story runs. It checks sources such as statements, meeting agendas and court filings, and flags developments that could be new angles. It drafts a follow-up plan and revisits it weekly. It checks that each claimed impact is backed by a source. The editor approves any new assignment. Edge case: an official denies the story's findings, so the agent notes the denial as a development and lists documents that could test it.

How it works

Follow the arrows from top to bottom. The orange dashed arrow is the loop: when a check fails, the agent goes back and tries again.

Start and resultWhat it doesA check on its own workWaits for your OKGoes back and retries
Yes, continueApprovedYes, continueNoNo 1 STARTS WHEN Story published 2 USES A TOOL Set up monitoring terms and sources for the story 3 USES A TOOL Read new statements, agendas, filings and coverage 4 DOES List developments with dates and sources 5 CHECKS THE RESULT Does each claimed impact have a dated source? If not: remove the claim or find a source. Back to step3. 6 DOES Flag developments that suggest follow-up angles 7 DOES Draft the follow-up plan 8 YOU APPROVE Editor approves new assignments 9 USES A TOOL Recheck sources the following week 10 CHECKS THE RESULT Has anything changed or a deadline passed since thelast review? If not: update the record and plan. Back to step 3. 11 RESULT Impact log and follow-up plan
Read the steps as a list
  1. Story published
  2. Set up monitoring terms and sources for the story
  3. Read new statements, agendas, filings and coverage
  4. List developments with dates and sources
  5. Does each claimed impact have a dated source?If not: remove the claim or find a source. Back to step 3.
  6. Flag developments that suggest follow-up angles
  7. Draft the follow-up plan
  8. Editor approves new assignmentsThe agent waits here for your OK.
  9. Recheck sources the following week
  10. Has anything changed or a deadline passed since the last review?If not: update the record and plan. Back to step 3.
  11. Impact log and follow-up plan

How it decides

An impact entry needs a dated source. A development becomes a follow-up angle if it has new facts or contradicts a claim.

  • Log only developments with a source and date
  • Treat a denial or contradiction as a follow-up angle
  • Check scheduled meetings within 30 days
  • Stop weekly checks after 8 quiet weeks

Make it yours

Every agent is a starting point. You choose these settings for your own situation.

  • Monitoring length (default 8 weeks)
  • Sources and agencies
  • Alert terms
  • Review day

What keeps you in control

It always asks you first

  • New assignments
  • Public claims of impact

Hard limits

  • Never contacts sources
  • Never claims credit without evidence

It stops when

  • Done: eight weeks pass or story is closed
  • Stop: editor ends tracking

Set it up

We guide you through the set-up, step by step

Members get the full set-up guide for this agent. No technical skills needed: you copy, paste and upload.

10 minto set it up in your AI
5 AIsChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Grok
  • One set of instructions to paste into your AI, with the clicks for ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Gemini and Grok
  • The agent then walks you through connecting your own data, one source at a time
  • A downloadable copy with the flow chart, the rules and the full guide
Get access to this agent

An example run

What happensAfter a story on unsafe bus brakes ran, the agent found a council agenda item for March 12 and a transport agency statement denying the finding. A claimed policy change had no source, so the source check failed and it removed it. It proposed a records request and a follow-up at the March 12 meeting. The editor approved the follow-up and the agent kept watching.

More agents for journalists

Quality control · Writers

Nonfiction Claim Evidence Agent

A draft where every factual claim is backed by a source passage at the right strength.

8 steps1 check6 jobs
Compliance · Risk management

Writer Source Permission Agent

Every piece of third-party material used within its permissions.

7 steps1 check4 jobs
Quality control · Writers

Interview Transcript Attribution Agent

A transcript where every attributed quote is supported.

8 steps1 check2 jobs
Research · Planning

Research Interview Question Plan Agent

Story questions answered with sourced notes, and a plan for the remaining interviews

10 steps2 checks8 jobs