Send the VTScout newsroom a tip
VTScout's original reporting starts with tips from Vermonters. Town meetings nobody else is covering, public records that don't make sense, things you saw, things you heard, things you think we should be paying attention to. Send them here — we read every one.
Town meeting minutes, public records, court filings, primary documents. First-hand accounts of what you saw or heard. Patterns nobody else is connecting.
Read your tip the same day. Reply within 48 hours if we plan to look into it. Verify independently before publishing anything — your name stays out unless you've explicitly agreed otherwise.
For higher-anonymity submissions (whistleblower, retaliation risk), email [email protected] — we'll exchange Signal contact securely.
Tip details
All fields are optional except email and your tip itself — but the more context you can give, the more likely we can verify and run with it.
Got it.
Thanks for reaching out. We’ll respond within 24 hours during business days.
Replying from your email? Just hit reply when we get back to you.
How we protect tip sources
VTScout adheres to the Vermont shield law for journalists and the voluntary protections in our Ethics Policy. Tips are received in the editor's inbox only; we never publish a tipster's name without explicit, informed consent. If you've identified yourself in a tip and later want anonymity, email [email protected] and we'll scrub our records.
For tips involving credible threats of harm to yourself or others, we may be obligated to notify authorities — we'll tell you first when this applies.
Frequently asked questions.
Will my tip stay anonymous?
Yes. Tips are confidential by default. We do not publish your name without explicit, written permission, and we do not share your contact information with third parties. For tips involving retaliation risk, court-sealed material, or whistleblower protection, contact us via Signal — we'll exchange the number privately by email.
What kind of tips does VTScout look for?
First-hand accounts from Vermonters, public-records leads, photos and video from incidents you witnessed, and patterns that aren't yet on anyone's radar — slow-moving stories about agencies, school districts, and municipal governments where consistent behavior matters more than a single event.
Does VTScout pay for tips?
No. We do not pay sources for information. Paying for tips creates a financial incentive to exaggerate or fabricate and conflicts with the editorial-independence standard on our editorial standards page.
What happens after I submit a tip?
A human editor reads every submission within one business day. If we plan to pursue the story, we'll email you to confirm we received the tip and ask follow-up questions. If we cannot pursue the story, we'll let you know that too. Tips we cannot verify are not published.
Can I send documents or photos with my tip?
Yes — attach them to an email to [email protected] with the tip subject. For large files or anything sensitive, send via Signal or a private file-sharing service after we've exchanged contact. We do not publish original documents without considering source protection.
How does VTScout verify tips before publishing?
Every tip is verified against named sources, public records, or documented observation before publishing. Single-source tips are clearly attributed; multi-source tips are described as such. We don't publish unverified claims — see our editorial standards for the full process.