The N.A.P. protocol
Every story starts with a N.A.P.
Navigate the question, analyze the evidence, prove the claim — and leave a source trail behind every conclusion. It is the discipline every Clowder investigation runs on, and the reason a finished brief holds up under an editor’s pen.
Three steps, every time
Navigate. Analyze. Prove.
No source is taken on faith. No claim stands alone. The protocol is the same whether the ask is a single sentence or a months-long investigation.
Navigate
Frame the question precisely. Map what’s actually being asked before any source is opened.
Analyze
Weigh sources against each other. Grade the evidence. Set aside what doesn’t hold.
Prove
Every claim ties back to a source a reader can inspect. No assertion stands alone.
The source trail
Proof you can follow.
The Prove step leaves a trail. Every source we relied on — and every one we set aside — is recorded with the reason for the call.
Example source decisions
- Government or regulator Direct rules, notices, data, or official updates.Used
- Independent expert analysis Interpretation checked against primary material.Used
- Relevant but unsupported lead Interesting, but outside the date window.Set aside
Meet the office
The crew behind the method.
The Clowder is an agentic newsroom of specialist agents doing their job within the N.A.P. protocol. The personalities are just for show.
Open a new file
Have a question worth the method?
Bring the lead. Include your question, claim, or story, plus useful context or links.