Send us a tip
Do you have a story you want to tell? The Gothamist and WNYC newsroom welcomes confidential news tips and documents to help advance our accountability coverage and uncover important issues that affect people who live in the New York City region.
Here are a few ways to send us tips and documents, including ways to protect your identity. We can’t promise we’ll be able to respond to everything, but we’ll do our best to follow up on promising tips and leads. Note: press releases, pitches and other unrelated messages will not receive a response if sent via these modes of communication.
Our [email protected] email address is checked regularly by a number of Gothamist and WNYC editors and reporters. Generally speaking, emails sent to this address are unencrypted.
Here are ways to contact us confidentially:
Signal
Signal is an app that offers end-to-end encryption for users who want to send confidential messages, including photos and videos, with the option to make messages automatically disappear. You can also make an encrypted call. All you need to do is register your phone number. Most of our reporters and editors use the app. You can send your tip to one of our reporters or editors using our directory.
Snail mail
You can always send us an old-fashioned letter and/or an envelope full of confidential documents via the U.S. Postal Service or your carrier of choice. Our address is:
Gothamist/WNYC Tips
160 Varick St.
New York, NY
10013
SecureDrop
Gothamist and WNYC work diligently to protect the identities of our sources. However, emails, phone calls, text messages and other forms of communication can leave a digital footprint that might still pose a risk to those who want to share information that is especially sensitive. For that reason, we’ve established a system called SecureDrop that adds additional layers of protection.
What is SecureDrop?
SecureDrop is an encrypted system for sharing confidential messages and documents anonymously that’s used by newsrooms across the world. Gothamist and WNYC hosts our own SecureDrop system on servers that we control. You can use it to share documents, data, photos, videos and other information with us, and to securely communicate with our newsroom without revealing your identity. Only a select number of our editors have access to the system. We do not require you to provide any personally identifying information when you submit materials through SecureDrop.
What should I know before submitting material through SecureDrop?
To protect your anonymity when using SecureDrop, it’s essential that you do not use a device or network that can easily be traced back to you. We recommend using public Wi-Fi networks and devices you control. This means:
- Do not access SecureDrop using your employer's hardware,such as a laptop, desktop computer or mobile phone. Be sure to use your own device.
- Do not access SecureDrop on your home network or your employer’s network.
- Do access SecureDrop on a public network not associated with you, like the Wi-Fi at a library or cafe.
Got it. How can I submit files and messages to Gothamist through SecureDrop?
Once you are connected to a public Wi-Fi network, follow these steps:
- Download and install the desktop version of Tor Browser, which anonymizes web traffic and protects your identity online.
- Once you’ve launched Tor Browser, visit Gothamist and WNYC's unique SecureDrop by copy/pasting the URL: http://q2ognbxyp7ho6ehdk4nksunukw4j6yrfdpgnkq2aeu6m6vviik5u3dad.onion/
Then, follow the instructions there to send us materials and messages.
When you make your first submission, you will receive a unique codename that you can use to sign back into our SecureDrop system to check for responses from our journalists, and upload additional materials.
The server will only store the date and time of the newest message sent from each source. When you send a new message, the time and date of your previous message will be automatically deleted. Journalists decrypt and read each message offline. They are required to delete messages from the server on a regular basis.
Please remember that the messages you send and receive through SecureDrop may include personally identifying information. For this reason, once you read a journalist’s message, we recommend you delete it.
What else should I know?
No tool can absolutely guarantee your security or anonymity. You use the SecureDrop service at your own risk. The best way to protect yourself as a source is to adhere to the best practices laid out here. Other suggestions include:
Metadata
Our SecureDrop system does not record your IP address, information about your browser, computer, or operating system. Furthermore, the SecureDrop pages do not embed third-party content or deliver persistent cookies to your browser.
However, some of the files you send us metadata associated with that file, such as when it was created and downloaded, what device was involved, the device's owner, etc.
Our policy is to scrub metadata from the files we receive through SecureDrop before publication. If you don’t want to send us metadata, please scrub the files you are submitting to us before you upload them in SecureDrop.
Your digital footprint
Your online behavior can be very revealing. For example, regularly monitoring Gothamist's social media or website can potentially flag you as a source. Be thoughtful about what your online behavior might reveal and consider using Tor Browser to mitigate such risks.
You can use a separate computer you've designated specifically to handle the submission process. Or you can use an alternate operating system such as Tails, which boots from a USB stick and erases your activity at the end of every session. As with any third-party application, please take all necessary precautions in using them.