How Leed handles a tip before any reporter gets in touch.

01 / Principles

Six rules every newsroom works under

1. A valid tip is stored before AI triage runs, so a model failure never erases a submission.
2. Sensitive, spam, PR, or needs-review leads can be held before any journalist sees them.
3. Reporter contact is restricted to verified journalist accounts and recorded as a request, not an automatic disclosure.
4. Sources get an eight-word codename instead of an account, and accept or decline contact requests with it.
5. Who the source is, their files and their messages are locked in their browser; Leed stores them but can't open them.
6. Admins can hold, remove, restore, and audit a lead's text when safety or accuracy requires it, but never see its source.

02 / Human review

AI routes, people decide

AI triage is a routing aid, not an editor. Newsroom administrators remain responsible for deciding whether to publish, hold, restore, remove, or escalate leads that involve serious accusations, minors, legal risk, privacy risk, or vulnerable sources.

A tip’s location is looked up with OpenStreetMap at neighborhood level, never the street. Research searches public sources only, never your identity.

03 / Receipts

Your codename and evidence

When you send a tip, your browser makes you an eight-word codename. It never leaves your device: Leed stores only a one-way code made from it. The codename opens your tip’s status, unlocks messages from reporters, and is what you use to accept a request. Photos are cleaned of location and camera data and every file is locked to the newsroom before it uploads.

04 / Requests

Correction, removal, or a safety review

To request a correction, removal, source-safety review, or privacy review, write to the address below. Include the tip link or enough context for the newsroom owner to locate the record.