Authorship Protection for Journalists
Protect your story before it breaks — and prove you broke it first.
The Problem
Pain points that journalists face every day.
Stories leak before publication
You share a draft with your editor for fact-checking. The story leaks to a competitor before publication. Proving your original authorship and who had access is critical.
Original reporting is republished without credit
Your investigative work, original quotes, and unique findings appear in other publications without attribution. Proving you reported the story first requires documented evidence.
Source protection and evidence integrity
In defamation and libel defence, proving when you possessed certain information and the integrity of your source materials can make or break a case.
How ScriptShield Helps
Specific ways ScriptShield protects journalists.
1. Timestamp your investigation as it develops
Register your research notes, draft articles, and evidence files at each stage. If your story is challenged or stolen, your version chain shows you had the material first.
2. Track who accesses your drafts
Every editor, source, and collaborator who accesses your draft through ScriptShield is logged. You have a verifiable record of the entire access trail.
3. NDA-gate embargoed material
For embargoed or sensitive material, ScriptShield's NDA gate ensures recipients agree to confidentiality terms before reading. That agreement is logged.
Real Scenario
The investigation that was scooped
A journalist spends eight months on an investigative piece. She shares a near-final draft with her editor and a key source for fact-checking. The story leaks, and a competitor publishes first. Without proof of when her draft existed and who had access, she cannot prove the scoop was hers. With ScriptShield, the draft was registered at each stage, the editor and source accessed it through tracked links, and the full access trail is documented.
What to Register
Documents and files that journalists should protect with ScriptShield.
- Research notes and interview transcripts
- Draft articles and story outlines
- Evidence files and documentation
- Source correspondence (redacted as needed)
- Final articles before publication
- Investigation timelines and case files
Protect your investigation
Start with a free account. Register your first work in under two minutes. No credit card required.