Forbes Investigations is a small, high-leverage desk — one or a few writers carry the entire vertical. That scarcity is your advantage: a well-aimed pitch reaches a decision-maker, not a queue.

This guide covers scope, targeting, angles, and outreach for Forbes Investigations reporters, with a fast-action checklist you can run in under 30 minutes.

Forbes Investigations sits at the intersection of money, power, and accountability. The desk pursues documented wrongdoing, governance failures, fraud, and hidden financial mechanics — not opinions about them.

Expect enterprise reporting on private companies, billionaire wealth structures, corporate governance, labor practices, and regulatory gaps. The lens is always who benefited, who paid, and what the record proves.

Freelance and contributor bylines mean scope can stretch into tech, markets, and consumer harm. Always confirm the current writer's focus before you pitch.

Bylines shift more than beat pages. Build your target set from recent output, not from a static masthead.

Start with a Forbes Investigations reporters list drawn from the last 90 days of published investigations. Cross-reference with contributor pages, X/Twitter activity, and LinkedIn to confirm who is currently active.

Treat any single name — including directory entries like Nick Crain — as a starting point, not the whole desk. Verify the writer's recent clips before you spend credibility on a pitch.

Forbes Investigations journalists respond to evidence, not narrative. Lead with the document: court filings, leaked contracts, regulatory actions, whistleblower accounts, or clean datasets.

The strongest pitch states the finding in one sentence, names the accountable party, and proves you have the paper trail. Then stop talking.

Avoid: speculation, "exclusive interview" offers with no substance, and anything that reads like a press release with a scandal adjective.

Accuracy beats speed on this beat, but speed still matters. If you have a time-sensitive disclosure, say so in the subject line with the date.

For Forbes Investigations journalists contacts, prioritize the bylined author's direct email or verified social DM over the generic newsroom inbox. Generic tips lines are triaged for volume, not nuance.

Pitch in plain text, no more than 150 words, with the finding first. Never overstate what you can prove — one exaggeration ends the relationship permanently.

Follow up once, after five business days, with a new fact rather than a nudge. Silence is usually a "no," not a maybe.

• Confirm the target is actively publishing on the beat this quarter.
• Draft a one-sentence finding you can defend on the record.
• Attach one exhibit — filing, contract, or dataset.
• Name the stakes: dollars, people affected, or institutional risk.
• Offer named interviews and document access, not vague access.
• State your deadline and any disclosure date driving the story.
• Log the outcome so your Forbes Investigations reporters list stays current.
• Follow up once, with a new fact, then move on.

Pitch evidence, not outrage — and this desk will read to the end.