If you want to contact us anonymously
There are dos and don’ts for whistleblowing. Here are some general guidelines to follow and ways to contact us.
- Don’t visit our website at work.
- Don’t email us from a work account or computer.
- Don’t subscribe to our newsletter with your work email account.
- Don’t tell anyone about your plans, and don’t use your work phone or email to contact us.
Protect your messages
Our Investigative Reporter Team uses an app called Signal to encrypt text message. This can prevent an outside observer from reading what you write to us. Download the Signal app here. You can message the team via Signal at 205-547-2480. Or send us your Signal number through snail mail or via a friend. One of us will contact you discreetly.
If you really want to be anonymous when you contact us, the U.S. mail is a good way to go. A warrant would be needed to intercept and open it in transit.
Don’t use your company or agency mailroom to send something to us. Mail your package or envelope from a sidewalk box instead of going to a post office. You can mail us paper materials or digital files on, for example, a thumb drive.
Our mailing address is:
WBRC News
1720 Valley View Drive
Birmingham, AL 35209
One thing to remember if you want us to pursue your story is that we will need to be able to contact you to verify what you’ve sent us. If you send us something in the mail, please include (inside the envelope) the way you’d like us to reach you.