If you're interested in getting touch with me because of a story idea, or because you'd like to tell me something important, great! I'm all ears. Speaking with a reporter is not something people normally do day-to-day and there's a lot of rules and strange terminology involved. I'm sharing some commonly-asked questions below so you can feel prepared before heading into a conversation with me.
If I speak to you for a story, will my name end up in your article?
If you are a representative for a company or a source who is publicly known for their work (ie a researcher, a historian, or other expert), our conversation will most likely be on the record — aka, I will use your name and attribute quotes you say to you in any resulting story.
If you are a person who is less used to talking to reporters, give me a heads-up at the beginning of our call and we can talk options.
On some occasions—particularly for sources who are underage or sharing sensitive personal information— I may use first names only, or pseudonyms.
The information I want to share with you is sensitive, could cost me my job, and/or is something I'm not authorized to share. Can I stay anonymous?
In cases where there's sensitive information, I'm happy to talk about keeping your identity out of the story. Feel free to reach out and we can discuss terms in more detail.
What do terms like "on the record," "off the record," or "on background" mean?
These are terms journalists use with sources to negotiate sharing information. At its very simplest, "on the record" means your name will be associated with information you share and quotes you say. "On background" means the information you share can be attributed to a persona that describes how you got this information —eg, "an employee inside the company." "Off the record," meanwhile, means I can't use any information you tell me in the story—it's just for my own knowledge. This website goes in-depth into what each term means.
If we're on the record and you'd like to tell me something more sensitive, you can ask me in our conversation to temporarily change the terms and we'll discuss. Please ask first — never assume journalists agree to switch terms!
Can I review quotes I've given you on-the-record before we publish? Can I see the story before it runs?
No. Letting sources have input into a final product is not ethical journalism. If we're discussing technical information or something complex, I may run some facts by you before the story publishes. If we're on background on a sensitive story, I will check to make sure information in quotes or shared in the story does not ID you.
How do I know you're quoting me accurately?
It's very important to me to get quotes right— it's a core part of my job! I record most of my phone or in-person conversations (I'll let you know in advance before I press record) to ensure accuracy. I also take notes during calls.
If you're extremely concerned about accuracy for a technical issue or quote, ask me if you can send me something in writing—I'll usually agree.
What's the best way to reach out to you with sensitive information?
The best way is to get in touch via Signal—you can find me at mollytaft.76. Please make sure you are on a personal phone (no work devices) and not on work networks.