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# What Makes a Good News Tip?
- URL: https://www.newglarus360.com/what-makes-a-good-news-tip/
- Published: 2026-01-21T06:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-22T21:36:13.000Z
- Description: A useful news tip gives New Glarus 360 enough specific, verifiable information to understand what happened, why it matters and where to begin reporting, while clearly separating firsthand facts from rumors, assumptions or personal opinions.
- Author: Todd Klassy
- Tags: Help

News tips play an important role in helping *New Glarus 360* identify stories that might otherwise go unnoticed. Readers often hear about developing situations, community concerns, business changes, public meetings and noteworthy accomplishments before those details are widely known.

Not every tip needs to arrive as a polished press release. A short message can be enough to begin reporting. However, tips are much easier to investigate when they include clear facts, useful context and a way to verify the information.

**Include the Basic Details**

A strong news tip should explain what happened, where it occurred and approximately when it took place. Include the names of the people, businesses, organizations or government bodies involved when those details are known.

It is also helpful to explain why the information may matter to the greater New Glarus community. A situation does not necessarily need to be dramatic or urgent to be newsworthy. It may involve a new business, a road concern, a public decision, an unusual event, a local accomplishment or an issue affecting residents.

**Be Specific**

General statements such as “something is happening downtown” or “people are upset about this” usually do not provide enough information to begin reporting.

Whenever possible, include specific locations, dates, times, names, meeting agenda items, business names, vehicle descriptions or other identifying details. Even one or two concrete facts can make it much easier to determine what happened and whom to contact.

**Explain How You Know**

Tell us whether you witnessed the event yourself, heard it from someone directly involved, saw it discussed during a public meeting or learned about it another way.

Firsthand information is especially helpful, but secondhand information may still be worth sharing. Clearly identifying what you personally know — and what you heard from someone else — helps prevent rumors from being mistaken for confirmed facts.

**Share Supporting Material**

Photos, videos, screenshots, public documents, meeting agendas, letters, social media posts and links can all help establish where the information originated.

When submitting a photo or video, explain when and where it was taken and identify the person who captured it. Please do not place yourself in danger, trespass or interfere with emergency responders to obtain material for a news tip.

**Provide Contact Information**

Include your name and a reliable way to reach you in case a reporter has follow-up questions. In many cases, a short conversation can clarify important details or identify additional sources.

You may ask that your name not be published. *New Glarus 360* will consider requests for confidentiality, although anonymous information may be more difficult to verify and may not be sufficient on its own to support publication.

**Separate Facts from Opinions**

It is acceptable to explain why you believe something is important, unfair, unusual or concerning. However, clearly distinguish your opinion from facts you directly observed or can document.

Avoid presenting assumptions about another person’s motives as established fact. Statements involving criminal activity, misconduct or other serious accusations require especially strong documentation and independent verification.

**Tips Are Starting Points**

Submitting a tip does not guarantee that an article will be published. *New Glarus 360* may need to confirm the information, contact additional sources, review public records or determine whether the subject has enough local relevance and public value to warrant coverage.

Some tips may lead to a full article. Others may result in a brief item; a question posed to a public official or background information that becomes useful later.

**What Not to Send**

News tips should not be used primarily to promote a product, advertise a sale, settle a private dispute or make unsupported accusations about another person.

Businesses and organizations seeking coverage of an event, announcement or accomplishment should provide clear information about its broader community relevance. Promotional claims, marketing language and requests for guaranteed coverage may reduce the likelihood that a submission will be treated as a news tip.

**When in Doubt, Send It**

You do not need to know whether something qualifies as news before contacting *New Glarus 360*. Share what you know, explain how you learned it and include as many useful details as possible.

A good tip does not need to tell the entire story. It simply needs to provide a credible place for the reporting to begin.

*– Send New Glarus 360 your news tip with the essential facts, supporting material and your contact information so we can determine the best next step.*

*– Licensed stock photo*