As a nimble but small nonprofit news organization, we at the The Nevada Independent rely on the eyes and ears of our readers — that is, you — to tell us what is going on in the state, things that we aren’t covering but maybe should be. Is there a new law that’s having unintended consequences? Is your city council deliberating a new ordinance that will have a significant impact on the community? Is there an elected official who is breaking the law? Is there something just generally broken with the system — be it energy, education or health care — that just isn’t working?

We want to know about it, and that’s why we have put together this guide: to help you help us. We want you to carefully consider the kind of tip you’re sharing and decide which method of communication is best for you. If you’re not worried about any kind of retribution, a simple email may be fine. But if you’re worried about blowback or a third-party potentially tapping into your message, you may want to consider submitting a tip through GlobaLeaks. No method of communication is completely secure, but the methods listed below will help protect your privacy while in contact with us.

Please only use the following methods of communication for story ideas and tips. For general feedback, please email [email protected]. We will review messages through all forms of communication as regularly as possible, but cannot guarantee a response to each one. We will always respond to you using the same method of communication that you used to contact us.

Submitting a tip

So you want to submit a tip to us? Here are some helpful pointers about what makes for a useful tip:

Specificity: Be as specific as possible. Evidence or documentation to back up your tip is crucial. We need to have reasonable certainty of verifiable information in order to justify pursuing a tip. For instance, you say an elected official is acting inappropriately or unethically. How do you know that? Did you personally witness an incident? If not, are there reliable witnesses? Do you have phone records, emails, or screenshots of text messages? We need to know those details in order to determine the validity of the tip.

Newsworthiness: Make sure your tip is truly newsworthy. Although you may not like a certain member of your city council, he or she doing something you disagree with isn’t necessarily news. Ask yourself, is this something the general public would be interested in, or is there an ethical or systemic problem that needs addressing, or is this a one-time thing that affects only me?

Email

This is the simplest method of communication. Send us an email at [email protected]. You can also use the contact form on this page to contact us easily and anonymously. Be aware that communications through both of those methods go to a general tip email only accessible to Indy staff members.

If you feel more comfortable reaching out to a reporter directly, you may contact them individually at the below email addresses:

• Jon Ralston, Editor: [email protected] – PGP key
• Elizabeth Thompson, Managing Editor: [email protected] – PGP Key
• Michelle Rindels, Reporter: [email protected] – PGP Key
• Riley Synder, Reporter: [email protected] – PGP Key
• Jackie Valley, Reporter: [email protected] – PGP key
• Luz Gray, Reporter: [email protected] – PGP key

GlobaLeaks

When using the internet normally, it is possible that your internet service provider (ISP), our hosting provider, our web server and/or various monitoring governments may create a record of potentially personally identifiable information, possibly including your IP address and internet type and browser version.

For a higher level of anonymity, you can use our GlobaLeaks server. With GlobaLeaks, you can send us messages or attachments while better protecting your identity. There will be no third-party records of our communication.

GlobaLeaks is a free, open-source software for secure and anonymous whistleblowing. It was developed by the Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights, an Italian-based Non-Governmental Organization focused on protecting the right to free speech.

To use GlobaLeaks, begin by downloading Tor Browser. Tor allows you to browse the internet while concealing your IP address from the sites you visit, as well as concealing the sites you visit from your ISP and government.

In Tor Browser, go to catgd3e3miyiu6u3.onion. This URL only works from within Tor, and trying to visit this URL from outside of Tor risks exposing your identity.

Postal mail

You may also choose to mail us a tip as another secure method of communication. Mailing it from a public postal box may be more discreet than mailing it from a post office.

The Nevada Independent
7455 Arroyo Crossing Parkway Suite 220
Las Vegas, NV89113

Fax

You can reach us by fax at 702-761-6401.