Cortex 178: The Process of Investigative Reporting, With Jason Schreier
107 snips
Apr 27, 2026 
Jason Schreier, lead video game reporter at Bloomberg and bestselling author, walks through how investigative stories start and how sources are built. He talks about balancing fast news with long-form book projects. He explains why phone interviews matter, how he corroborates tips, and the workflow he uses for messy research and fact-checking.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Record Important Interviews On A Physical Device
- Use physical recorders for sensitive interviews to avoid cloud storage risks and protect source OPSEC.
- Schreier uses a Sony UX570 and sometimes records both the device and a phone app for crucial conversations.
Institutional Scale Lets Reporters Step Back
- Jason doesn't stay constantly on-call because Bloomberg's global newsroom can handle breaking news.
- If something major relates to his beat they'll loop him in, but colleagues can publish when he's unavailable like on paternity leave.
Pick Book Ideas That Sustain Multiyear Reporting
- Schreier chooses book topics that excite him enough to commit years to reporting and interviewing.
- He described writing Play Nice required years of first-hand reporting and that writing the draft took months after extensive interviews.
