How Matthew Bovee Builds and Maintains Source Relationships

In investigative journalism, your sources are your most valuable asset. Without trusted informants willing to share sensitive information, groundbreaking stories simply would not exist. Over three decades of reporting, I’ve learned that building and maintaining source relationships is perhaps the most critical skill an investigative reporter can develop.

Why Source Relationships Matter in Investigative Reporting

Every major investigation I’ve worked on—from the Lincoln TIF scandal to stories uncovering government waste—began with a single source willing to talk. The difference between a good investigative journalist and a great one often comes down to the depth and quality of their source network.

When I first started in journalism, I made the mistake of only reaching out to sources when I needed something. This transactional approach rarely worked. Sources could sense when a reporter was only interested in them for a story, and they rightfully held back. The breakthrough came when I started treating source relationships as genuine human connections that require ongoing investment.

Building Trust from the First Contact

The foundation of any source relationship is trust. In my experience, trust is built through consistent actions over time, not flashy promises. Here’s how I approach new source development.

Start with Public Interactions

Before approaching anyone as a potential source, I research their public presence. This means reading their previous statements, understanding their organization, and finding common ground. When I first contacted sources for my investigation into Nebraska’s TIF districts, I spent weeks understanding the local government structure and the specific concerns of city officials before approaching anyone directly.

Be Transparent About Your Intentions

I never mislead sources about who I am or why I’m investigating. During interviews, I clearly state that I’m a journalist working on a story, what the story is about, and how their information might be used. This transparency occasionally means losing potential sources, but it preserves my credibility for the long term.

Honor Every Commitment

If you promise to call a source at a specific time, call exactly when you said you would. If you agree to review quotes before publication, do so without fail. These small commitments accumulate into a reputation that makes sources more willing to talk over time.

The Art of Source Maintenance

Building initial contacts is only half the battle. Maintaining those relationships over months or even years require dedicated effort.

Regular Check-Ins

I make a habit of touching base with key sources every few months, even when I’m not working on a story that involves them. These check-ins don’t always need to be formal. A quick email sharing an article they might find interesting, or a note wishing them well during a challenging time in their organization, keeps the relationship alive.

Protect Their Interests

Perhaps the most important aspect of source maintenance is demonstrating that you have their interests at heart. When a source provides information, I always explain clearly how it will be used and what risks they might face. If there’s any way to reduce those risks—using their information on deep background, delaying publication until they have time to prepare, or seeking additional corroboration—I proactively offer these protections.

Strategies for Difficult Sources

Not every source is immediately willing to talk. Over the years, I’ve developed several approaches for engaging reluctant informants.

The Referral Approach

One of the most effective techniques is asking existing sources for referrals. At the end of every interview, I specifically ask: “Is there anyone else you think I should talk to about this?” This question often leads to contacts I would never have found otherwise, and sources are more likely to talk when referred by someone they trust.

Patience and Persistence

Some sources need time before they’re ready to come forward. I’ve had sources decline initial interviews, stay in touch for months, and eventually provide critical information when they felt the time was right. The key is maintaining the relationship without pressure.

Understanding Their Motivations

Every source has a reason for wanting to talk—whether it’s blowing the whistle on wrongdoing, settling a personal grudge, or seeking justice for something that affected them directly. Understanding these motivations helps you frame stories in ways that respect their reasons for coming forward.

Lessons from Thirty Years of Source Development

Looking back at my career, some of my most important stories came from source relationships I built decades ago. The journalist who first told me about improperly documented government contracts eventually led me to the TIF investigation that won the Gerald Loeb Award.

The lesson is clear: invest in people, not just stories. Treat sources as partners in the pursuit of truth, not as disposable information providers. This approach has served me better than any reporting technique I ever learned.

Building source relationships isn’t just about getting stories—it’s about building a network of trusted voices who trust you to tell their stories fairly. That’s the real foundation of investigative journalism. Without the relationships I’ve cultivated over thirty years, I never would have broken stories like the Lincoln TIF investigation or exposed the groundwater allocation issues that affected thousands of Nebraska farmers.

Long-Term Source Cultivation: Playing the Long Game

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that the best source relationships develop over years, not weeks. Some of my most Protected sources came to me only after I had been reporting on their industry or institution for multiple years.

The Waiting Game

Patience is essential in source development. When I first started investigating Nebraska’s public pension systems, I had sources who wanted to talk but weren’t ready. I stayed in touch, continued reporting on related topics, and let them know I was available when they changed their mind. Some of these sources reached out years later, providing documentation that led to award-winning stories.

Diversify Your Network

A common mistake young reporters make is relying too heavily on a small number of sources. This creates risk—both for the reporter if a source becomes unavailable, and for the source if they’re overused. I make deliberate efforts to build multiple sources within each institution or topic area I cover. This redundancy has saved numerous stories when expected sources became unavailable.

Document Everything

I maintain careful records of every source interaction—not just the information provided, but the context around how we met, what was discussed, and follow-up actions needed. These records help me track relationship development over time and ensure I’m maintaining regular contact with key sources.

Ethical Boundaries in Source Relationships

Maintaining source relationships requires careful attention to ethical boundaries. In my experience, crossing these lines destroys relationships faster than anything else.

Never Fabricate Relationships

Some reporters create fictional source relationships for their stories. I have never done this and consider it professionally disqualifying. Readers deserve to know when sources are fictional, and fake sources ultimately damage the entire profession’s credibility.

Respect Off-the-Record Agreements

When a source explicitly requests off-the-record treatment, I honor that completely—even if the information changes the entire direction of a story. The moment you violate an off-the-record agreement, you lose the ability to make such agreements in the future.

Compensation Prohibitions

I never pay sources for information. This isn’t just an ethical position—it’s practical. Paid sources have every incentive to provide information that validates your hypotheses, rather than accurate information. Their interests become misaligned with truth-telling.

Technology and Modern Source Development

The digital age has created both opportunities and challenges for source development. Social media allows for easier initial contact, but it also creates documentation trails that didn’t exist in the past.

Digital Verification

When approaching new sources, I now frequently research their digital presence before in-person contact. This helps me understand their motivations and find common ground, but I take care not to let this research create assumptions that might bias my reporting.

Secure Communications

For sensitive sources, I use encrypted communication methods. Signal has become an essential tool in my source development toolkit, allowing sources to communicate with confidence that their conversations are private.

Building Source Relationships in Nebraska

Covering Nebraska for decades has taught me specific lessons about source development in this region specifically. Midwestern sources often value directness and authenticity over flashiness.

Persistence Pays Off

Nebraskans are known for their reliability and thoroughness. These qualities translate well to source development. Sources in Lincoln and across the state appreciate reporters who demonstrate commitment to understanding their communities over time.

Local Institutions Matter

Building sources at the University of Nebraska, state government agencies, and local businesses has been essential to my reporting. These institutional relationships take years to develop but pay dividends in stories that serve the public interest.

The bottom line remains the same: in investigative journalism, your sources are your network. Invest in those relationships with genuine care, consistent follow-through, and respect for their contributions and protections. This approach has produced the best stories of my career, and it’s the foundation on which lasting investigative careers are built.