How We Work

Investigative journalism is only as durable as the rules it follows. These are ours.

Insanity Wolf is a small, independent publication. Trust is the only asset we cannot replace. The principles below govern how we report, source, correct, and disclose. They apply to every issue and to every author who writes under our masthead.

Principles

• VerifiabilityEvery claim is traceable to a public record, primary source, or named authority. If a reader can't follow the citation back to the document, the claim does not run.
• Primary documents over commentaryWe quote the procurement notice, not the press release. We quote the statute, not the spokesperson's interpretation. We link to the dataset endpoint, not the dashboard summary.
• Disclosure of methodEvery investigation publishes its methodology and its endpoints. Readers who want to repeat the analysis can.
• Restraint with anonymous sourcesWe do not publish anonymous claims that cannot be corroborated by a record. Anonymity is a tool, not a habit.
• Right of responseAgencies and named individuals are given the opportunity to respond before publication. Their responses, when received, are included verbatim.
• Living documentsInvestigations are updated as records requests return and as facts evolve. Substantive changes are logged on the Corrections page.
• Transparency on AIWhere artificial intelligence assists with research, drafting, or analysis, the use is disclosed in the methodology. The byline always belongs to a human reporter who is responsible for the work.

Conflicts

Insanity Wolf accepts no advertising and no sponsorships from companies, agencies, or political organizations covered in our reporting. We do not accept gifts from sources. We do not invest in or hold securities in vendors that appear in our investigations. Where any actual or perceived conflict exists, it is disclosed inline.

Funding

The publication is funded by reader subscriptions and by its independent operator. We do not take grants from organizations whose interests intersect with our reporting subjects. Donor lists, where applicable, will be published.

Retractions and corrections

If we get something wrong, we correct it on the record. Material errors are flagged at the top of the affected piece, logged on /corrections/, and explained in plain language. We do not silently edit history.

Source protection

We treat the identity of confidential sources as inviolable. Documents shared with us in confidence are stripped of identifying metadata before any internal handling. See /tips/ for the secure intake channels.