NationalReport.uk relies on contributions from readers, whistleblowers, experts and professionals who witness or uncover developments that matter to the UK public. A well-prepared tip helps our editors and reporters prioritise, investigate and publish stories that hold power to account, illuminate policy decisions and explain how changes in law, regulation, technology or workplace practice affect people and communities across the United Kingdom.
This page explains what makes a useful tip for each of our desks, how to send it securely, what to include, and how we protect your identity if you wish to remain confidential.
What makes a good tip for our desks
Our editorial desks cover specific areas of UK public life. Tips that align with these beats are more likely to be taken up quickly.
- UK media and culture developments – Changes in broadcasting, press regulation, digital platforms, creative industries, funding models, diversity and representation in the sector. If you have inside knowledge of a media organisation’s editorial decisions, ownership shifts or cultural policy changes, contact our UK Managing Editor Rebecca Morgan.
- Political decisions and parliamentary process – Lobbying, ministerial decisions, legislative amendments, select committee work, party policy changes, internal party disputes, campaign finance, conflicts of interest. The Politics & Public Affairs Editor Jonathan Price is the primary recipient.
- Technology and workplace changes – Automation, artificial intelligence adoption, data privacy breaches, algorithmic bias, gig economy conditions, remote work policy, union activity, health and safety standards, redundancy processes. Tips for this area can be directed to the Economy & Business Correspondent Emily Saunders or the Public Services & Society Editor Nicholas Ward.
- Public institutions and services – NHS, schools, local government, police, courts, prisons, social care, housing, transport, utilities. Documented failures, whistleblower accounts, regulatory breaches, funding gaps, service reforms. Nicholas Ward handles most public service content.
- Consumer issues – Unfair pricing, misleading advertising, product safety, financial services malpractice, billing errors, contract disputes, utility complaints. Emily Saunders covers business and consumer affairs.
A strong tip usually contains specific, verifiable facts: names of people involved, dates, locations, official documents, internal memos, emails, accounts, photographs or other evidence. Vague rumours or general speculation are less likely to be progressed.
How to reach us
All tips should be sent by email in the first instance. Use the following addresses depending on the nature of your information:
- General tips and story ideas – editorial@nationalreport.uk (read by the UK managing editor and shared with the relevant desk editor)
- Time-sensitive breaking news – newsdesk@nationalreport.uk (monitored during UK business hours; for urgent matters you may also telephone the UK editorial line on +44 20 4586 7340)
- Press releases and official announcements – press@nationalreport.uk (these are reviewed periodically but not guaranteed to be published; we prioritise original reporting over press release rewrites)
If you have a written document, we strongly prefer it to be attached in PDF format rather than in the body of the email. For large datasets or sensitive material, you may encrypt the attachment and send the decryption password separately by a different communication channel.
What to include in your tip
When you write to us, please structure your message around the following elements, which correspond to our editorial standards:
- Who – individuals, organisations, companies, public bodies involved.
- What – the specific action, decision, event, document or pattern of behaviour.
- When – approximate or exact dates, recurrence.
- Where – geographical location, institution, department, website, platform.
- How you know – your role, relationship to the information (this helps us assess reliability; you do not have to identify yourself if you wish to remain anonymous).
Please indicate clearly whether you are communicating on the record (your name and details may be published), on background (information can be quoted but not attributed to you), or off the record (the information will not be published in any form without your explicit permission). If you do not specify, we will treat the submission as off the record until we clarify terms with you.
How we verify tips
Every tip received by NationalReport.uk is reviewed by the Standards & Fact-Checking team, led by Eleni Papadopoulos. Our verification process follows the principles set out in our Fact-Checking Policy and our Sources & Standards page. We cross-reference information with independent records, public databases, official documents and, where safe to do so, additional sources. We do not publish information that cannot be corroborated to a reasonable standard, unless the public interest in disclosure is exceptionally high and the source is judged credible.
For documents and digital evidence, our team assesses authenticity, chain of custody and any potential tampering. We will contact you only if further verification is needed.
Confidentiality and source protection
We take source protection seriously. Confidentiality requests are respected in accordance with our privacy policy, available at /about-us/privacy-policy/. We do not disclose contact details, identity or identifying characteristics of tipsters without their explicit consent, except where compelled by a court of competent jurisdiction in Cyprus or the United Kingdom. In such cases we will challenge overly broad demands where legally possible.
If you have specific legal concerns about submitting a tip, you may contact our legal and compliance team at legal@nationalreport.uk. We cannot provide legal advice, but we can explain our data-handling procedures and your rights under UK and EU data protection law.
What happens after submission
We aim to acknowledge receipt of all tips within two working days of delivery. This acknowledgement does not mean the story is being pursued; it confirms we have received your message and it will be logged.
If we decide to investigate further, a relevant desk editor or journalist will contact you within a further five working days. If you do not hear from us after that period, you are free to offer the information to other outlets.
For general enquiries about the process, see our Contact page. You can also learn more about our editorial team at Our Team and about NationalReport.uk’s background at Our Story.
Corrections to published articles
If you believe a published article contains an error, please send a correction request to corrections@nationalreport.uk. Our Corrections Policy explains how we handle these submissions independently of the tips process.
We also invite readers to sign up for our Newsletter to follow our work and receive notifications about significant investigations.