Journalists face a peculiar pressure: deadlines reward speed, while corrections and legal exposure punish sloppy sourcing. The winning habit is archive early, write second: freeze the public record before language drifts in your notes.
Editors ask for receipts
“Where did that number come from?” is a kindness compared to what readers or opposing counsel might ask. A URL is not a receipt if the page changed.
Reader modes can delete the evidence
Reader views strip ads—which is nice—and sometimes strip footnotes, dates, disclaimers, and embedded corrections—which is catastrophic for accuracy. Know what your tool removes.
Corrections and updates
When a source updates post-publication, you may need both captures: pre-update and post-update, with clear notes. Standards vary by newsroom; the principle is traceability.
Separate tips from public-source research
Sensitive tips belong in secured channels and workflows. Public web research belongs in systems designed for search, sharing inside the org, and retention policies.
PageStash helps newsrooms and freelancers build a searchable archive of web pages with notes—so fact-checking is a lookup, not a scavenger hunt.
Related: Archive a webpage · OSINT tools · Research workflow · Bookmark manager alternative
