Many reporters who cover corporate governance issues call on experts who alert them to stories and are willing to comment on events at companies. These include staff members at corporate governance think tanks, academics who specialize in the topics, and members of corporate governance institutes at major business schools. (See Resources in the appendix section for contacts and websites.)

Academic studies by faculty and research fellows associated with university corporate governance programs can provide useful story tips and excellent background for stories. This Guide cites a number of academic papers on such cases as Mexico’s TV Azteca, India’s Satyam Computer Systems Ltd., Italy’s Parmalat SpA and the U.S.’s Enron Corp., to name just a few. (See Sources section at the end of each chapter, and Selected Resources, appendix.)

Topics covered in working papers available on Harvard’s corporate governance website in late 2011 alone included studies on excess pay clawbacks, risk-taking by nuclear power plants and staggered boards, among others.

Diligent research into footnotes, appendixes, explanations of accounting practices and other details in regulatory filings is a key component of breaking stories about companies, as Chapters 5 and 6 explain.

Other sources, both inside and outside of companies, can be equally important. Middle management at many companies, especially those in the finance departments, are often helpful. Every journalist loves to hear from whistle-blowers, who can often be the route to uncovering a great story. Whistleblowers, however, come with drawbacks, including personal agendas and grudges, a sometimes limited viewpoint of company operations and a lack of rigorous fact-checking.