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

The 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. Information about how to send us a press release can be found 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.

FIRST, FIND THE RIGHT REPORTER

You can find staff bios, with email addresses and phone numbers, for everyone in the Star Tribune newsroom here. To find the reporter covering the beat most relevant to your information, search by keyword (ex. Minneapolis, politics, education, etc.).

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.

HOW TO SHARE PAPER DOCUMENTS

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 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.

HOW TO SHARE ELECTRONIC FILES

If security is a concern, there are ways you can encrypt your electronic communications with us. Encryption scrambles the messages, making it extremely difficult for anyone other than the sender and intended receiver to read them.

Some of our staff members are using the encrypted messaging app Signal. It’s free and available for iPhone and Android, as well as the Chrome web browser. Signal users must share their phone numbers with each other in order to communicate. If you’d prefer to avoid sharing your personal phone number, you can create a Signal account using a Google Voice number. Do not add the journalist’s phone number to your phone’s contact list, but rather use Signal’s “Find by phone number” feature to initiate communications. You can read more about Signal here.

These Star Tribune staffers are on Signal:

Matt DeLong Digital Projects Editor Signal: 612-643-0344

Stephen Montemayor Politics and government reporter Signal: 612-760-8405

Janet Moore Transportation reporter Signal: 612-720-9515

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.

This post has been updated.