Not legal advice. This site is an editorial reference. Laws change — always confirm with a qualified attorney in the relevant jurisdiction before recording, and check each page’s last reviewed date.

Pre-Call Checklist for Journalists

A short list, designed to be run through in two minutes before a recorded interview. Not exhaustive — an editor or newsroom counsel should be involved for high-stakes stories — but enough to avoid the routine mistakes.

Before the call

  • What jurisdictions are in play? My location, the source’s location, and any third party on the line.
  • What is the consent rule in the strictest of those jurisdictions? See cross-border calls.
  • Have I decided on attribution? On the record, on background, deep background, off the record? Source knows my position?
  • If a confidential source, is recording the right move at all? Could a careful set of contemporaneous notes do the job with less exposure?
  • What recording method will I use? Is it appropriate to the jurisdiction? Does it announce to the source? Do I want it to?
  • Where will the file live? Encrypted device, password-protected storage, or both?

At the start of the call

  • Identify yourself and the outlet.
  • State that you are recording, in plain language.
  • If the source has not seen one, summarize the attribution rule for this conversation.
  • Pause for explicit acknowledgement. Note the acknowledgement.
  • For sensitive subjects, confirm the source’s preferred name and any protective measures (false names, locations elided, voice modulation if for broadcast).

During the call

  • If the source goes off the record, acknowledge audibly: “OK, off the record now.” This is documentation.
  • If a third party joins the call, re-establish consent.
  • If the source asks you to stop recording, stop. Do not negotiate while still recording.
  • Capture key facts in your own words at the end: “Just to confirm: you said X. Is that right?”

After the call

  • Save the file with a clear, non-identifying filename.
  • Move the file to its long-term encrypted location.
  • Make a contemporaneous note: date, time, who, attribution rules, any objections raised during the call.
  • If you transcribed, treat the transcript with the same protections as the audio.
  • Do not share the recording outside the small group that needs access; an editor and the legal team, typically.

Before publication

  • Re-confirm key quotes against the audio.
  • If you are using a clip in broadcast or publication, verify it does not misrepresent the surrounding context.
  • If the source is confidential, double-check that nothing in the recording metadata, the cropped audio, or the transcript leaks identifying detail.
  • If the source is on the record, consider sharing the relevant quotes back to them before publication for accuracy (newsroom policy varies on this).
  • Document your work in case of subsequent subpoena or fact-check.

After publication

  • Follow the newsroom’s retention policy.
  • If subpoenaed, talk to media-law counsel before responding. Many state shield laws protect unpublished material.
  • If a correction is needed, the audio is the evidence; document the correction process.

Where this came from

This checklist is drawn from common practice at investigative newsrooms in the US, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press’s guides on legal aspects of journalism, and the SPJ Code of Ethics. It does not substitute for the newsroom’s own protocols or for an attorney’s advice on a specific story.

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