Source FAQ
(idea borrowed from Louise Matsakis)
Contacting a reporter can be an intimidating thing, especially if you’ve never done it before. I get a lot of questions from people about the process of journalism, and figured I would collect the most common questions and provide some answers in one place.
How can I reach you securely?
If your tip/information is not particularly sensitive, you can use my contact form.
If your tip/information is sensitive, or if you could get in trouble for sharing it, use the methods outlined in these guidelines from the Freedom of the Press Foundation for sending sensitive information to journalists.
I can also be reached through Signal, an encrypted messaging app. My Signal username is @kevinroose.01
You can also reach me through The New York Times’s Confidential News Tip process.
Can I tell you something anonymously?
It depends. Generally, journalists assume that anything you tell us is “on the record” — that is, publishable with attribution — unless we reach a prior agreement about speaking off the record or on background. (See below for a definition of those terms.) But I frequently speak with sources anonymously, either to collect information they’re not authorized to share or to be more candid about sensitive subjects.
We should agree on the terms of a conversation before we speak.
What does “off the record”/”on background”/etc. mean?
The definition of ground rules like “off the record” and “on background” varies slightly between reporters. Here’s how I define them:
On the record: I may publish anything you tell or show me, attributed to you by name and/or title. (“The document revealed a pattern of corruption, according to Jane Doe, a vice president at the company.”)
On background: I may quote you, or paraphrase what you tell me, but will not attribute it to you by name. There are various forms of background attribution, and we should agree on what your attribution will be at the start of our conversation. (“The document revealed a pattern of corruption, according to a senior executive who was briefed on its contents.”)
Off the record: What you tell me can serve as general context for my reporting, but I will not publish it or quote you, even anonymously.
How do I know you won’t misquote me, or take my words out of context?
In general, I record most of my interviews (with sources’ consent), so a reliable record exists. I have conducted thousands of interviews, and, as far as I can remember, I have never had to correct a quote after publication.
I do make other kinds of mistakes, like all journalists. Usually, when people have concerns about a story turning out accurately, I remind them that The New York Times has a transparent corrections policy. If we make a factual error, we fix the error and publish a correction. It’s embarrassing and career-limiting for journalists to get too many corrections on our stories, which incentivizes us to get things right the first time. You can find my New York Times corrections here.
Do you pay for interviews?
No.
But I get paid for TV appearances/conventions/sponcon/meet-and-greets…
I’m sure you do! I still can’t pay you for an interview. It’s against the New York Times ethics rules, which you can read in full here.
Can I approve/edit my quotes before you publish them?
No. It’s Times policy not to allow quote approval.
What makes for a good tip?
In general, I write about technology and its effects on society. (You can see my recent articles on my NYT author page.) Right now, I’m most interested in A.I., but I’m also open to covering other subjects.
I don’t typically cover product releases, funding announcements, or personnel moves at tech companies. I write somewhere between 25-50 columns a year, which means I have to pick my spots carefully. And when it comes to reporting, I am always more interested in stories that are based on primary sources (documents, screenshots, on the record interviews).
Basically, any information that is revelatory about a person or institution of importance in tech is something I consider good reporting terrain.