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Journalism & Media vocabulary · News Gathering and Sources

Tip-off

Meaning in journalism & media, with examples

/ˈtɪp ɒf/nounCommon term

In journalism & media, tip-off means: A piece of secret or early information given to a journalist or the police about something that has happened or is going to happen.

In Turkish: ihbar, duyum, ipucu

How it is used

Newsrooms receive tip-offs by phone, email or secure messaging apps; readers are invited to send tips. The verb is tip off: someone tipped us off about the closure. In American English tip alone is more common.

Example sentences

  1. The story started with a tip-off from a worker at the recycling plant.

  2. A neighbour tipped off reporters when the police arrived.

Common collocations

  • receive a tip-off
  • anonymous tip-off
  • act on a tip-off
  • tip off reporters
  • sourceA person, document or organisation that gives a journalist information for a story; also the place where a piece of information comes from.
  • scoopAn important or exciting story that one journalist or outlet publishes before any of its competitors; as a verb, to beat rivals to a story.
  • anonymous sourceA person who gives information to a journalist on the condition that their name is not published, usually because they could lose their job or be in danger.
  • verifyTo check carefully that information, a photo, a video or a source is real and true before you use or publish it.

More terms: News Gathering and Sources

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