Want to share information with the Star Tribune? Here’s how to do it securely

The Minnesota Star Tribune depends on readers like you to tell us what we should be reporting. We welcome your news tips, on any subject, whether it’s about an interesting community event or individual, an issue in your school or neighborhood or a problem that you think should be investigated.

You can call us, send an email or mail us a letter. For information about how to submit corrections, letters to the editor, calendar events or general feedback, click here.

Sometimes readers may want to pass on sensitive information without anyone else knowing about it. We respect the desire of some tipsters to remain anonymous, and have put in place ways to contact reporters and editors to ensure the communication will be private and secure.

If security is a concern, we strongly recommend using personal devices and accounts to contact us – not a work device.

Searching for articles on similar topics is a good way to find the best reporter to receive your tip. Click the reporter’s byline (their name just below the headline) to view their author page. There, you can find the reporter’s email address and phone number. You can also find a list of newsroom leaders here. If you send your tip to the appropriate editor, they can help get it in the hands of the right reporter.

If you’re unable to determine which reporter you should send your information to, don’t worry! You can send it to the newsroom and we’ll get it to the right person. You can email tips and story ideas to whistleblower@startribune.com. You can also call the general newsroom line at 612-673-4414 and we can route you to the appropriate person.

If the information you have is sensitive and you’d like to communicate more securely, there are some additional options below.

There are a number of different ways to send information to the Star Tribune. Consider whether you wish to remain completely anonymous or whether you want a reporter to be able to reach you. Are you sharing paper documents, or electronic files? Your answers to these questions can help determine which method to use.

Mailing paper documents to the newsroom, without a return address, is the most anonymous way to share them. Mail tampering is a federal crime and law enforcement must get a warrant to open mail.

For maximum security, do not use your employer’s mailroom or the post office. Instead, drop it in a random street mailbox, preferably not near your home or place of work. Place your documents in an envelope and mail them to:

News Tips

Minnesota Star Tribune

650 3rd Ave S #1300

Minneapolis, MN 55488

Do not put a return address on the envelope. If you know which reporter you’d like to receive your package, include the reporter’s name on the envelope before the address. If you would like a reporter to contact you, be sure to include contact information in the package.

Some of our staff members use the encrypted messaging app Signal. It’s free and available for iPhone and Android. There is also a desktop Mac app. Signal is used by many journalists to communicate with sources who may want or need a higher degree of security due to the sensitivity of their information, their employment, or other risk factors.

Signal uses end-to-end encryption to secure text messages, phone or video calls made through the app. End-to-end encryption is a way of sending data so that it remains encrypted during transmission and can only be decrypted by the recipient. Messages can be saved or set to automatically delete at specified intervals (highly recommended!). Signal does not collect any metadata about who you are messaging. The service only retains your phone number and the last time you accessed the app.

Again, we strongly recommend installing Signal on a personal device, rather than a work device, before contacting us.

The following Star Tribune staffers are on Signal. You can find them by searching for their username in the app.

If you’re still not sure how best to send information to us anonymously, please feel free to make contact on Signal and we can advise you on how to proceed.