Free Guide to Sharing News Tips With AARP

What This Guide Covers: Understanding How to Share News Tips With AARP

This free informational guide explains how to contact AARP with news tips, story ideas, or information you think their journalists and editors should know about. AARP reaches millions of readers through its magazine, website, and social media channels. If you have a story that relates to issues affecting people age 50 and older—healthcare, finances, family caregiving, consumer protection, or other relevant topics—understanding how to submit that information can help get your story considered.

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The guide walks through the various channels AARP uses to receive tips from the public, what kinds of information they typically look for, and what to expect when you submit something. It also explains how news organizations like AARP evaluate tips and decide which stories to pursue. This is educational material designed to help you understand the process, not to guarantee that any tip you submit will be published or result in a news story.

Many people have stories to tell or information to share, but they don't know where to start or whom to contact. News organizations receive thousands of submissions each year. Learning about how AARP handles tips can help you understand why some stories get coverage and others don't, and how to present your information in a way that news professionals can evaluate fairly.

Key Takeaway: This guide provides information about the different ways to contact AARP with news tips and what the process typically involves. It's a resource for understanding how one major news organization accepts and reviews story ideas from the public.

Finding the Right Contact Information and Submission Channels

AARP operates multiple newsrooms and editorial departments, each focused on different types of coverage. The main AARP newsroom handles national stories and investigative journalism. AARP Magazine publishes feature stories and lifestyle content. AARP's state and local offices may cover regional news. Understanding which department handles what kind of story can make your submission more likely to reach the right person.

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The primary way to contact AARP newsrooms is through their official website. AARP maintains a "Contact Us" section that includes email addresses and submission procedures for different departments. You can find links to their newsroom, editorial team contact information, and submission guidelines on AARP.org. Some departments have specific email addresses for tips, while others ask you to use a general inquiry form.

Social media platforms also serve as a way to reach AARP journalists and editors. Many AARP reporters and editors maintain active accounts on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can message them directly or send comments on their posts. However, email submission through official channels is typically the most direct and documented way to ensure your tip reaches the right person and gets logged into their system.

AARP also has a phone line for general inquiries, though major newsrooms typically prefer written submissions so there's a clear record of what was submitted and when. If you're working with sensitive information or want to discuss your tip before submitting it formally, a phone call can be a good first step to find out which editor or reporter would be most interested.

Key Takeaway: You can reach AARP journalists through their website's contact section, email addresses for specific newsrooms, social media accounts, or their general phone line. Using official email channels typically creates the best record of your submission.

What Kind of Tips and Stories AARP Looks For

AARP's coverage focuses on issues that affect people 50 and older. This includes healthcare topics like Medicare, prescription drug costs, and aging-related medical conditions. Financial stories about retirement, Social Security, scams targeting older adults, and consumer issues are common subjects. Family caregiving—helping aging parents while managing your own life—is another major focus area.

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AARP investigates consumer fraud and scams specifically targeting older adults. If you have information about a company or scheme that preys on seniors, or if you're aware of systematic problems in an industry that affects older consumers, that's the type of tip AARP's investigation team might pursue. They also cover stories about age discrimination in employment, healthcare access in rural areas, and policy issues affecting retirees.

Local and personal stories are valuable too. AARP looks for real examples of how policies or trends affect real people's lives. If you know someone dealing with unexpected healthcare costs, struggling to find affordable housing, facing age discrimination, or dealing with family caregiving challenges, that person's story might illustrate a larger issue AARP is already reporting on or should be reporting on.

Tips can also come in the form of data or research findings. If you work in healthcare, government, or research and have statistics, survey results, or findings that relate to aging populations, that's news-worthy information. AARP also welcomes tips about coming policy changes, legislative action, or regulatory decisions that haven't yet received media coverage but could affect older adults.

AARP is less interested in tips about products or services that are simply trying to sell something, or stories that are purely promotional. They're looking for stories with genuine news value—something that's new, affects a significant number of people, reveals a problem, or shows how a policy or trend is actually playing out in people's lives.

Key Takeaway: AARP looks for stories about healthcare, finances, family caregiving, consumer protection, age discrimination, and other issues affecting people 50 and older. The best tips combine specific information with real examples of how an issue affects actual people.

How to Write and Structure Your News Tip

When you submit a tip, be clear and concise in your opening. Start with the main news angle—what's new, what's the problem, or what's the story. Don't make journalists dig through paragraphs to figure out what you're telling them. In the first sentence or two, state what the story is about and why it matters.

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Include specific details and facts. Instead of saying "many people are struggling with healthcare costs," provide actual numbers or examples. Do you have data showing how much costs have increased? Can you point to a specific policy change? Do you know multiple people affected by the issue? The more concrete your information, the stronger your tip.

If you're submitting a personal story or example, include enough detail that a journalist can understand the situation and follow up. Provide your contact information, the person's age range or general background (if relevant), and the specific problem or situation. Don't include personal identifying information like Social Security numbers or full addresses, but do provide enough context that the story is real and verifiable.

If you have documentation—research studies, news articles, government reports, or other supporting materials—mention that in your email. You can attach or link to these materials. This helps journalists quickly assess whether your tip has solid backing.

Keep your submission to a single email, ideally under 500 words. Journalists receive hundreds of submissions. If your tip is longer, start with a brief summary and offer to provide more detail if they're interested. Include your phone number and email address so they can contact you for follow-up questions.

If your information is sensitive or you need to verify details before publication, mention that clearly. Some tips come from people who have firsthand knowledge but need to protect their privacy or discuss the story before it goes public. Being upfront about those conditions helps journalists understand what they're working with.

Key Takeaway: Write a clear opening that states the news angle immediately, back it up with specific details and data, include contact information, and keep it concise. The easier you make it for a journalist to understand your tip, the more likely they'll consider it.

What Happens After You Submit Your Tip

When you submit a tip to AARP, an editor or assignment manager will review it. They assess whether it fits AARP's coverage area, whether it's newsworthy, and whether they have resources to pursue it. This evaluation can take days or weeks. You may not hear back immediately, and that doesn't necessarily mean they're not interested—it often just means they're busy or they're still deciding whether to assign someone to look into it.

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Some tips get assigned to reporters right away if they clearly fit a story AARP is already planning to cover. Other tips might be interesting but not urgent, so they get added to a list of story ideas for future consideration. Some tips don't move forward for various reasons—maybe the story is being covered by many outlets already, maybe they don't have the resources, or maybe it doesn't fit their current coverage plans.

If AARP is interested in pursuing your tip, someone will likely contact you with questions.