Got a big story to share? VentureBeat accepts confidential news tips. Here’s a list of ways to contact our editorial team with sensitive information. We are committed to protecting the identities of our sources.
When submitting a confidential news tip, be sure to include any relevant documents, evidence, and data. Further, please explain why the tip is newsworthy and what’s at stake. We promise to read each message and to reply promptly.
Examples of confidential news tips:
- Attached is proof that this company lied to its investors.
- Here are documents showing that this executive covered up a hacking scandal.
Thank you for reaching out to us.
Signal
The following editors and writers can be reached on Signal, an encrypted chat app that requires a phone number.
- Blaise Zerega — Politics, media, and M&A (DM on Twitter for phone number associated with Signal)
- Jordan Novet — Apple, Microsoft, and cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, Google), AI (DM on Twitter for phone number associated with Signal)
- Harrison Weber — Tech politics, design, and general news : 1 (917) 434-4978 (Only for tips that require extra security. See “Pitches” section below).
- Emil Protalinski — Developer, Microsoft, Google, security, open source, and general news: (DM on Twitter for phone number associated with Signal)
- Ken Yeung — Facebook, Twitter, Snap, social media, and marketing technology (DM on Twitter for phone number associated with Signal)
- Khari Johnson — Artificial intelligence and bots: 1 (415) 756-7232 (Only for tips that require extra security.)
- Bérénice Magistretti — Venture capital and funding news (DM on Twitter for phone number associated with Signal)
PGP-encrypted email
The following VentureBeat editors can be reached via PGP-encrypted email. PGP encryption uses a public key (the one you share) and a secret key (never share this) to scramble the text in the body of your emails. If you send an email using one of our public keys, ideally, nobody but us can read what you’ve sent (note: your email subject and address will not be encrypted).
- Blaise Zerega — Generate a PGP-encrypted message to paste into an email or messaging app. Fingerprint: 61F1 BC85 0D51 611B B7A6 D365 021D A984 40FF 7EC6. Public key.
- Harrison Weber — Generate a PGP-encrypted message to paste into an email or messaging app. Fingerprint: 85BD DC7A 1EFD D6E1 6F7B 8FED 05F3 CC1B FB2D 8ED9. Public key.
A service called Keybase makes it easy to generate a PGP-encrypted message using a reporter’s public key. After you encrypt a message, you can paste it into an email and send it with your normal email client.
If you need to send and receive PGP-encrypted messages, there are a number of ways to get started, including GPG Tools (for Mac) and guides from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for Windows, Linux, and Mac. If you’re new to PGP, please read the “Security tips” section below before proceeding.
Mail, IRL
Sending a physical letter from a random public mailbox without a return address remains a relatively secure way to deliver tips. Please keep in mind that a number of our staff work remotely. Please send to the attention of a specific staff member or by default, send to the attention of Blaise Zerega.
VentureBeat Editorial Team
Attention: Blaise Zerega
22 Battery Street, Suite 320
San Francisco, CA 94111
General pitches
For news tips that don’t require anonymity or extra security (e.g. pitches, announcements, funding news), submit them via our general tips inbox — [email protected] — which remains the best way to reach VentureBeat’s editorial staff. You might also contact the appropriate reporter/editor directly with news relevant to his or her beat. If you require anonymity, though, please use one of the methods above to reach our staff.
Security tips
Properly using the tools above will help protect your identity. Please keep in mind, however, that you may need to take additional steps to keep your communications secure, among them: Don’t use your work computer, work phone, work-related accounts, or work-provided internet connection to send tips. Here are a few guides that can further help you protect your identity.
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s secure communication guide
- The ACLU’s basic privacy guide
- The EFF’s intro to PGP
- How to run a rogue government Twitter account (via the Intercept)
Thank you.
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