Contact
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AWOL is dedicated to seeking out unheard stories and voices and providing in-depth, investigative reporting that informs our community. Our reporters work to hold American University, student government and local government officials accountable.
We want to hear from you.
This page will provide our contact information, cover what we look for in pitches and tell you how to send us tips anonymously.
Contact info
For general inquiries, corrections and tips, reach out the AWOL Editor-in-Chief at [email protected].
You can also reach out to reporters individually by contacting them directly, or by reaching out to our general email and asking to be connected with them.
How to pitch AWOL
If you’ve got a story for us, we want to hear it. Here’s the general information we look for in a pitch:
1. Does it affect AU students, D.C. residents or both?
Typically, we focus on stories that directly affect our community in some way. If it’s a broader issue, tell us how it impacts AU students or D.C. residents.
2. Does it involve an abuse of power or a cover-up?
AWOL’s role as a news organization is to address systemic abuses of power. Do you think your tuition money is being spent on something it shouldn’t be? Did you hear that someone was punished by the university unfairly? Do you have records from within an AU affiliated organization that show they knowingly covered up of a harmful or illegal act? These are the stories that AWOL primarily focuses on, as they go beyond simply publishing that “something happened” by addressing broken systems that lead to harm within our community.
3. How much information can you provide?
It’s really helpful to us if you have access to information that can help prove the injustice you’ve seen. Recorded conversations, screenshots of messages or posts, and other hard evidence can make the difference when holding someone accountable for their actions. It’s totally okay if you don’t have these things, but, if you do, that information will help us to publish and bring attention to an issue in a timely manner.
If you have access to documents or materials that can help us but are worried that you could be in legal trouble or potentially be harmed for sharing, keep reading.
Looking to send us a tip, but want to remain anonymous?
If you see an injustice you believe should be addressed publicly and want to provide us with information, we have several options to protect you and your identity.
1. Send a tip to the editor-in-chief anonymously by creating a “burner” Gmail account. A VPN can also help in protecting your IP address. Do not use your student email when tipping anonymously.
2. If you’d rather text us, but are worried about giving out your phone number, you can also use a Gmail account to set up a free google voice number. Then, text us at 202-743-5016. (This is our own Google voice number and is not affiliated with the university in any way!) You can even make a burner Gmail account, get a Google voice number, and text us there instead. This provides a two layers of anonymity to your tip.
3. If you’d like, once you’ve contacted us you can ask use Signal to communicate directly with one of our reporters. Signal is an encrypted messaging service that helps protect a user’s privacy. There are a series of options available within the app to protect your privacy.