Your First AI Prompts for Research & Writing
The difference between a journalist who gets mediocre AI output and one who gets genuinely useful results comes down to one thing: how they write their prompts. This lesson teaches you a practical framework for prompting that works across all AI tools.
What You'll Learn
- The RCTF prompting framework tailored for media work
- How to write prompts for research, drafting, and editing tasks
- Common prompting mistakes that waste time
- Five ready-to-use prompt templates for journalism and content creation
The RCTF Framework for Media Professionals
RCTF stands for Role, Context, Task, Format. It gives the AI everything it needs to produce useful output on the first try.
- Role -- Tell the AI who to be (e.g., "You are an experienced investigative journalist")
- Context -- Provide background (e.g., "I'm writing a feature about remote work trends for a business audience")
- Task -- State exactly what you need (e.g., "Create an outline with 5 sections and key data points for each")
- Format -- Specify the output structure (e.g., "Use bullet points, keep each section to 2-3 sentences")
Example: Research Prompt
Weak prompt:
Tell me about AI in education
Strong prompt using RCTF:
Role: You are a research assistant for a technology journalist.
Context: I'm writing a 1,500-word feature article about how AI tutoring tools are changing K-12 education in the US. My audience reads a general-interest tech publication.
Task: Provide a research brief that includes: (1) the 3-4 most significant AI tutoring platforms and what makes each different, (2) recent statistics on AI adoption in US schools, (3) the main arguments for and against AI tutoring, (4) 2-3 expert voices I should try to interview.
Format: Organized with clear headers. Include specific numbers and cite sources where possible so I can verify them.
The difference is dramatic. The weak prompt gives you a generic essay. The strong prompt gives you a structured research brief you can actually use.
Five Prompt Templates You Can Use Today
1. Story Research Brief
You are a research assistant for a [beat] journalist. I'm working on a story
about [topic] for [publication/audience]. Give me:
1. Key background facts and recent developments
2. Relevant statistics with sources I can verify
3. The main perspectives/sides of this story
4. 3-4 potential sources or experts to contact
5. Questions that haven't been well-covered yet
Keep it factual and cite sources where possible.
2. Article Outline Generator
I'm writing a [word count]-word [article type] about [topic] for [audience].
My angle is [your specific angle or thesis].
Create a detailed outline with:
- A compelling hook/lede approach
- 4-6 main sections with key points for each
- Where to place data, quotes, and examples
- A strong closing that ties back to the lede
Tone: [conversational/formal/investigative/explanatory]
3. First Draft from Notes
I'm a journalist writing for [publication]. Below are my raw notes
from reporting on [topic]. Turn these into a [word count]-word first draft.
Rules:
- Do NOT invent any facts, quotes, or details not in my notes
- Flag any gaps where I need more reporting with [NEED MORE]
- Match the tone of [publication name or style description]
- Start with a strong lede
My notes:
[paste your notes]
4. Social Media Repurposer
Turn the following article into social media posts for each platform:
1. Twitter/X: 1 tweet thread (5-7 tweets), conversational, hook in first tweet
2. LinkedIn: 1 post (150-200 words), professional tone, with a takeaway
3. Instagram: 1 carousel outline (8-10 slides), visual-friendly key points
Article:
[paste your article]
5. Headline Generator
I've written an article about [topic]. The key finding/angle is [main point].
The audience is [description].
Generate 10 headline options:
- 3 straightforward/informative
- 3 curiosity-driven/question-based
- 2 data-driven (with numbers)
- 2 bold/provocative
Keep all headlines under 70 characters for SEO.
Common Prompting Mistakes
Mistake 1: Being too vague. "Write me an article about climate change" gives you a generic essay. Always specify your angle, audience, word count, and tone.
Mistake 2: Not providing context. AI doesn't know your publication's style, your audience, or your beat. The more context you give, the less editing you'll need to do.
Mistake 3: Asking for one thing at a time. Instead of asking for a headline, then an outline, then a draft in separate prompts, combine them into one conversation where each step builds on the last.
Mistake 4: Accepting the first output. Your first prompt is a starting point. Follow up with refinements like "Make the lede shorter" or "Add more data points to section 3" or "Adjust the tone to be more conversational."
Mistake 5: Not giving examples. If you want output that matches a specific style, paste an example. "Write in a style similar to this: [paste paragraph]" is extremely effective.
Practice Exercise
Try this right now with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini:
- Pick a topic you're currently working on or interested in
- Use the Story Research Brief template above
- Review the output -- what's useful? What needs verification?
- Follow up with: "Now create an outline for a 1,000-word article based on this research. My angle is [your angle]."
You should immediately notice how much faster your workflow becomes when AI handles the research compilation and structural thinking.
Key Takeaways
- The RCTF framework (Role, Context, Task, Format) consistently produces better AI output than vague prompts
- Always specify your audience, publication style, word count, and tone
- Use follow-up prompts to refine output rather than accepting the first result
- Never trust AI research output without verifying key facts and statistics
- The five templates in this lesson cover the most common journalism and content creation tasks