Deep sourcing is essential to producing consequential journalism in Washington where an army of gatekeepers often shield public officials from direct contact with the press, veteran D.C. journalists said.

Jonathan Salant, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette managing editor-politics; Arthur Jones II, ABC News producer-reporter; Sadie Gurman, Wall Street Journal Justice correspondent; and Carol Leonnig, Washington Post investigative reporter, urged the 2024 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship class to expand their network of contacts at every opportunity.

The collective guidance, they said, was ingrained early in their careers as prominent graduates of the same fellowship program.

“When you are trying to piece together things that are hard and contentious, find a way to build a relationship with those individuals separate,” Leonnig said. “Always I think press people … are often a break on you being able to get a real story, and they will fill your notebook with stuff that is undocumented and unverifiable and BS—sorry.”

Leonnig said the fellowship experience “emboldened me” to confront contentious policy issues and public figures.

“I could go up to (longtime North Carolina Sen.) Jesse Helms, who by the way, nearly spat at me multiple times … and demand that he answer a question in the hall, and figure out how to get past his guardians,” said the former Charlotte Observer Washington Bureau reporter.

Gurman advised the group to carefully tend relationships with existing—and older –contacts who often resurface in new positions and can be increasingly helpful.

“You should never take anybody for granted from your former life,” Gurman said, adding that some contacts “follow your trajectory.”

“I actually had a lot of sources from covering (local) police, who went on to…the FBI and the ATF… And then by the time you’re here, they just start getting higher and higher on the scale and becoming more and more important. And so it’s important to not take those people for granted and assume that you won’t need to talk to them. You should always keep in touch with them.”

The relationships, when carefully developed, can span years, Salant said.

Jones urged the journalists to seek out their subjects where they are, including congressional hearings where lawmakers are discussing issues important to them.

“When they come outside of the hearing and you talk to them about an issue that you know that they’re passionate about…it makes them feel as though you actually know what you’re talking about and you’re interested in the policy, not just the gotcha moments,” Jones said. “So, try to meet them where they are, especially if you have that access to them.”

Access the full transcript here.