Tips from readers, sources and whistle-blowers are the lifeblood of trustworthy journalism. Hauptfokus (hauptfokus.de) systematically reviews every tip we receive. Our editorial team – led by Chefredaktör Michael Jung and supported by fact-checking chief Melanie Hartmann – treats every submission with care and confidentiality. The site is owned and operated by Alpen Press Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number 132587, Companies House Gibraltar, registered office: Office 3.7, ICC, Casemates Square, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA). We publish under Swedish editorial standards but welcome tips from anywhere in the world, provided they have clear relevance to Sweden.
Who is responsible for handling tips at Hauptfokus?
Chefredaktör Michael Jung has overall editorial responsibility for all tips that lead to publication. Day-to-day triage of incoming tips is managed by Redaktionschef Jessica Schuster and the newsdesk. Melanie Hartmann, Ansvarig för faktagranskning, leads the verification process once a tip is shortlisted. The full team is listed on our Our Team page.
Any tip that results in a published article must pass through our standards desk. Michael Jung approves all corrections and significant editorial decisions. The company, Alpen Press Ltd., does not intervene in editorial judgments; editorial independence is guaranteed by our editorial policy.
What makes a good tip?
A strong tip is specific, verifiable, and serves the public interest. We cover Swedish news across politics, economics, culture and society, so tips with direct relevance to Sweden are most valuable. Good examples include policy developments in the Riksdag or Regeringen, municipal politics affecting local communities, Wirtschaft news such as company behaviour or market trends, cultural stories with societal impact, and any matter of public accountability or transparency.
We are especially interested in tips that expose wrongdoing, inefficiency, or gaps in official information. Tips about planned or pending government decisions, legislative proposals (propositioner), or internal documents from ministries or agencies are always carefully evaluated. For economy and business tips, data-backed stories about household finances, employment, or corporate governance resonate strongly. Cultural and society tips should have a clear Swedish angle – for example, changes in education, housing, immigration, or artistic funding. We do not accept tips that are purely promotional, defamatory without evidence, or based on anonymous gossip without supporting documentation.
How can you send us a tip?
Use tips@hauptfokus.de for general tips and story ideas. Use newsdesk@hauptfokus.de for time-sensitive breaking news or documents you wish to share directly with the editorial team. Use press@hauptfokus.de for press releases, media invitations, or official statements intended for publication consideration. All emails reach our editorial team; we cannot guarantee an individual response to every tip, but we read each one.
When you send a tip, please include as much concrete information as possible. State the core story clearly, provide names, dates, locations, and any available documentation (files, links, images, audio, video). If you are a source with direct knowledge, explain your role or relationship to the story – but never share information that would breach a duty of confidence or legal obligation. If you need to remain anonymous, state that explicitly at the start of your message. We also accept encrypted tips; contact tips@hauptfokus.de to request an encrypted channel or a secure drop.
How do we verify tips?
Verification is led by Melanie Hartmann and our fact-checking desk. Every tip that passes initial interest is subjected to source verification, cross-referencing with official records, and, where possible, direct interviews. We never publish a tip solely on the basis of a single anonymous source. Our verification process is detailed in our fact-checking policy and our general Sources & Standards page.
We aim to confirm information through at least two independent sources or through primary documents. If a tip involves claims about living individuals, we seek their right of reply before publication. If a tip is too vague or cannot be substantiated, we may set it aside or contact you for further evidence. Melanie Hartmann’s team also checks for potential inaccuracies, outdated data, and conflicts of interest before any piece is approved for publication.
What about confidentiality?
We take source protection extremely seriously. If you request anonymity, we will not share your identity with anyone outside the editorial team, and we will not reveal it even within the team without your consent. We do not log IP addresses of tip submissions unless necessary for security reasons, and we delete such logs after initial review. For extremely sensitive tips, we recommend using encrypted email or a secure drop – please contact tips@hauptfokus.de to arrange this.
We adhere to Swedish press ethical rules and European data protection standards. Our privacy policy and accessibility statement apply to all correspondence. If you have legal concerns about submitting information, consult an independent lawyer before contacting us – we cannot offer legal advice.
What happens after you submit a tip?
Your tip is logged and assigned a case number within the editorial system. The newsdesk team reviews it within one to three working days. If it matches our editorial priorities, Redaktionschef Jessica Schuster or a subject editor will take initial responsibility. We may contact you for additional details or clarification. If the tip is not selected for immediate follow-up, it is stored securely for possible future use; you can always withdraw your submission by emailing tips@hauptfokus.de with the case number.
We cannot guarantee publication. Many factors affect whether a story is pursued: capacity, verifiability, news value, and competition with other outlets. We typically do not provide updates on the status of a tip unless it progresses to active development. If we decide to publish based on your tip, we will attempt to contact you before publication whenever possible and appropriate.
What if you need to correct a story?
If you believe a published story contains an error, please send a detailed correction request to corrections@hauptfokus.de. Our corrections desk, also overseen by Melanie Hartmann, follows the procedure outlined in our corrections policy. We correct errors promptly and transparently, and we publish a note of the change on the article itself. For complaints about editorial conduct beyond factual corrections, use the complaints procedure.
Our commitments
- We will treat every tip with the same rigorous verification standards we apply to any editorial content.
- We will protect the confidentiality of sources to the fullest extent permitted by law and our editorial policy.
- We will never allow commercial relationships or ownership interests to influence which tips we pursue or how we publish them.
- We will acknowledge receipt of tips within three working days and give each tip a fair review based solely on its journalistic merit.
- We will correct any factual errors arising from a tip promptly and transparently, and we will inform the tipster of the correction when possible.