Who this is for
Reporters who leave interviews with the pull quote and the threads to chase sharp in their head, and a deadline closing in fast.
The moment this saves you
I finish an interview and the pull quote plus the thread I need to chase are razor sharp for about ten minutes, then the next call starts and I cannot recall which quote was the one.
See it work
Messy spoken thought in. A clean, structured artifact out.
Okay the source confirmed the layoffs were planned before the merger was announced, that's the key fact. The quote I want is, they knew in January and told us in April, that's verbatim. I need to verify that January date with a second source before I can run it, and she mentioned an internal memo I should chase down. Right now this is single source, so I have to corroborate before publishing.
Interview notes
- Key fact: layoffs were planned before the merger announcement
- Pull quote (verbatim): "They knew in January and told us in April."
- To verify: the January date, need a second source
- To chase: the internal memo she mentioned
- Attribution: single source so far, corroborate before publishing
The workflow
Record a voice note
Hit the hotkey and talk, no formatting, no typing.
Tag it with this context
Contextli shapes your words into the structured output above.
Find it later
Everything's searchable and organised by context.
Pull it into Claude or ChatGPT
Bring your contexts straight into your AI tools with the Contextli MCP.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
The prompt behind this context
I'm going to debrief an interview I just finished. Turn it into reporting notes. Output bullets for: Key fact(s) (what I learned), Pull quote (only the wording I explicitly say is the quote, kept verbatim, in quotation marks), To verify (claims that need a second source), To chase (documents, people, or threads to follow), and Attribution (note single-source vs corroborated, only as I describe it). Never reword a quote and never invent facts, sources, or attribution I didn't state. If I cover more than one interview, output one block per source. Output only the notes, no preamble, no editorializing.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Use this context
One click copies it and shows you exactly how to drop it into Contextli.
Next, open Contextli, go to the Contexts page, click Import, choose From JSON, paste, then Import Context. It is ready to use.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
Related contexts
Interview Question Prep
You're interviewing a guest or expert and you don't want generic questions. Say what you're curious about and what you want the audience to learn. You get a sharp, ordered question list, so the conversation goes somewhere instead of staying on the surface.
Reading & Research Note
You highlighted half the article and saved it to a graveyard you'll never revisit. Instead, say what the source actually claimed and why it matters to your project. The takeaway, the relevance, and the caveat all get kept.
Book Takeaways
You finish a great book and two weeks later can't name a single idea from it. Right after the last page, say what actually stuck and how you'd use it. You build a personal library of takeaways you'll genuinely return to, instead of a shelf of forgotten covers.
Questions people ask
Questions journalists ask about Source Note
What is the best way for a journalist to capture field notes on-site without a clipboard?
Speak your observations into Contextli immediately after the walkthrough or site visit, while the details are sharp. The Source Note context structures your spoken description of the site into a field note with the key fields. You have a structured record before you get back to your vehicle.
How do I take field notes hands-free while walking a site?
Add the Source Note context to Contextli, then speak your observations as you walk. Because you are speaking rather than typing, your hands are free and you can look at what you are describing. The context formats your words into a field note when you finish.
What should a field note include to be useful later?
It should include the date, the site address or identifier, the specific observations made with location references, any issues found and their severity, and the recommended next steps. The Source Note context captures all of these from your spoken walkthrough.
How do I share field notes with a client or team quickly after a site visit?
After dictating your observations using the Source Note context, copy the structured field note and paste it into an email, a client portal, or a project tool. The output is plain text that reads cleanly without any special formatting.
How do I add this context to Contextli?
Copy the context on this page, then open Contextli and go to the Contexts page. Click Import, choose From JSON, paste it into the Import from Clipboard window, and click Import Context. It is ready to use in under 30 seconds. If you do not have Contextli yet, you can download it for free first.
Is my voice recording private? Does Contextli send it anywhere?
Your voice recording and the transcription are stored on your device only. Contextli processes your audio locally and does not send your recordings or transcription text to any server. The structured output it produces is text you control, and you decide where it goes.
Can I change what the output looks like?
Yes. Every context in Contextli is a starting point you can edit. Open the context in the app, change the instructions to adjust the structure, tone, or fields, and save. The next time you use it, the output reflects your changes. You are not locked into the default format.
Do I need to install an app to use this context?
Yes. Contextli is a free app. Download it, then copy this context and paste it into the Import from Clipboard window on the Contexts page. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.