What is Public Insight Journalism? | Frequently Asked Questions | Join the Public Insight Network | Update your information

Share what you know - become a source for public radio!

Your work, education and life experience – even your hobbies – give you knowledge and insights that can help us cover the news in greater depth and uncover stories we might not otherwise find.

> Join the Public Insight Network

When a story breaks about identity theft, we want to learn from those affected or those looking for ways to avoid it. When we report that nearly half of American older workers have saved less than $25,000 toward retirement, we want to know how they are coping. With foreign adoption on the rise, we want to understand what that trend means for the parents and children involved.

Thanks to e-mail and the Internet, our radio producers and reporters can quickly find and learn from thousands of people who have experience or knowledge on a story we are covering. We call this Public Insight Journalism, and it relies on people like you, who we call public sources.

Our network of more than 50,000 public sources has helped us find and report stories on the growing obesity epidemic in rural areas, the decline of labor unions, and the impact of the Iraq war on the families of soldiers.

Some of our public sources end up in our radio programs. Others prefer to just help us get at the heart of a story. Nothing you share with us goes onto the radio or the Web without your clear permission. So please help us create the great stories that have made you a public radio listener.

What you can expect by becoming a public source

• Up to one e-mail a month asking for your insight on issues we plan to cover — you respond only if you have knowledge; otherwise ignore the request
• An occasional follow-up call or e-mail to get more information, if we follow a lead you provide
• Confidentiality: We won't quote you on the radio or the Web without your permission
• An open line for you to tell our radio programs what stories are important to you, your family and your community and help us set our coverage priorities
• An occasional invitation to public insight meetings we hold in your area
• No spam, marketing calls, or requests for money — your information is private and is not shared outside of a small circle of public radio journalists

Your help will make public radio coverage stronger

• By giving our shows access to first person information and sources, new story ideas, a wider range of perspectives, and information that helps us identify under-covered or emerging issues
• By broadening our network of sources and strengthening our connections with diverse people around the country
• By helping us create deeper and more relevant reporting based on a diverse range of sources

> Join the Public Insight Network