From Zach Seward: A new innovation for blogs sounds a lot like an old model for newspapers: Gawker unveiled a voice mailbox today for sources who don’t want to leave a digital trace of their gossip, leaked memos, and other tips. Publisher Nick Denton explained that “everybody’s more paranoid than ever that the boss’ IT agents are snooping.” Now, instead of emailing, they can call 646-214-8138. (That’s a third-tier New York City area code, which Gawker would be sure to mock if any other media company were using it.) We gave the number a ring this afternoon, and here’s the surprisingly corporate-sounding voice on the other end of the line.

Denton said callers should indicate if they don’t want the audio of their call published on the site. Otherwise, they could end up like some readers of the San Francisco Chronicle, which last year published voicemail messages left by irate or otherwise amusing callers. Does your news organization have a way for tips to be left by phone, anonymously or no?

17 October 2008

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