Have a Tip for Heartland Signal? Here’s How to Contact Us Securely.
Heartland Signal covers state and local politics and policy across the Midwest and beyond. We report on how political decisions shape the lives of real people — who gets to vote, how public money is spent, whether government is working the way it should, and what it all means for individual rights and freedoms.
If you have information or documents about political misconduct, misuse of public funds, threats to democratic participation, or anything else the public deserves to know, we want to hear from you.
We take source protection seriously. Here are three ways to reach us, each with different levels of security.
Signal
Signal is an encrypted messaging app. Messages sent through Signal are end-to-end encrypted, which means only you and our reporter can read them. We recommend Signal for sensitive tips.
Our Signal number: 512-825-8021
Before reaching out, make sure you have the latest version of Signal installed on your phone. Do not send tips from a work device or a network monitored by your employer.
You can email us at tips@heartlandsignal.com.
Standard email is not encrypted. It is fine for general story ideas, public records you want us to look into, or information that is not sensitive. If your tip involves confidential documents, personal risk, or information that could identify you as a source, use Signal instead.
You can send documents or written tips by postal mail:
Heartland Signal
5475 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60630
Do not include a return address if you want to remain anonymous. Postal mail leaves no digital trail, which makes it one of the most secure ways to share physical documents.
What makes a good tip
You do not need to have the full story. A tip can be a document, a pattern you have noticed, a name, a meeting, a line in a budget — anything that points us toward something worth investigating. The more specific you can be, the better. Dates, names, dollar amounts, and documents all help.
We cover states across the Midwest and beyond. If what you are seeing involves government, public institutions, elections or civic life in this region, it is likely something we would want to know about.
How we protect sources
We do not reveal the identity of confidential sources. Period.
Our reporters follow established journalistic practices for source protection, and we will work with you to understand the level of confidentiality you need before we pursue any story. If you tell us something off the record, it stays off the record unless you say otherwise.
If you have questions about how we handle tips or want to discuss the safest way to share information with us, reach out on Signal first.
