Do you have a news tip for us or want to share feedback on a story?
Please fill out the form below, and we’ll respond in 24 hours or less.
Contact A Miner Detail
Please email us at Tips@AMinerDetail.com.
Call or text A Miner Detail at (240) 244-7075.
Journalism/Blogger Ground Rules
It’s essential to establish ground rules upfront.
Please immediately establish if you are speaking with A Miner Detail [on the record], [off the record], or [on background].
Please read the Associated Press’ rules about chatting with news-gathering professionals.
On the record
The information you share with A Miner Detail may be used with no caveats.
We’ll quote you verbatim and by name.
Off the record
The information you share with us cannot be used for publication.
We’ll take information to our graves and never share it with anyone unless you tell us we can.
A Miner Detail does not retroactively go off the record when speaking with sources. That means you should establish the ground rules up-front; don’t tell us something and then suddenly tell us that whatever you just said cannot be printed.
On Background
The information you share can be published only under conditions negotiated up-front.
You may request your name be withheld from a story, but you must agree to a description of your professional credentials. Hence, the reader knows the information reported is credible and links to a credible source.
News-gathering professionals are not obliged to comply with your change-of-heart decision to speak to us off the record.
A Miner Detail prefers that you speak or mail with us on the record – but exceptions can be made, if necessary, to maintain your anonymity.
On Deep Background
The information you share can be used – but without attribution.
This means you don’t want to be identified in any way, even on the condition of anonymity.
Bottom Line:
If you fail upfront to negotiate your speaking arrangement before sharing information with news-gathering professionals, said professionals should presume the conversation is [ON THE RECORD] and [REPORTABLE].
A Miner Detail Protects its Sources
We will never reveal your identity if you share information with A Miner Detail and request anonymity.
Our news-gathering professionals would rather be imprisoned than compelled by the government—or anyone else—to reveal a source.
HBO’s The Newsroom sums up our position:
Maryland is a Two-Party Consent State
In Maryland, all parties to phone calls (and in-person conversations) must expressively consent to an audio recording.
If you intend to record a conversation with A Miner Detail’s news-gathering professionals, we respectfully request you inform said professionals up-front and immediately that you want to record the conversation.
If you decide to record the conversation without all parties’ consent, you could face civil and/or criminal penalties.
To learn more about audio recording phone conversations, please review this website.