At Qwoted, everything we build starts with one question: does this make it easier and safer for journalists and sources to tell great stories together? Our latest update puts journalists in the driver’s seat of when their identity is shared, and we want to walk you through what’s changing and why.
During a recent Qwoted Live session, experts across clinical care, health tech, and economics explored where AI is delivering real value today and where it still falls short.
What’s Changing
With our upcoming release, reporter name visibility on calls for experts will work a little differently:
- Team and Pro members will be marked as vetted within the platform and will see the reporter’s name when they unlock a call for experts.
- Free members always get the media outlet upfront. The reporter’s name follows their lead: it’s revealed the moment the journalist responds to your pitch, giving them the first say in who they connect with.
One thing that is not changing, and never will: Qwoted does not share the email addresses of our users. Ever.
Why we’re making this change
Journalists come to Qwoted because it gives them a protected space to find great sources without opening the floodgates to their inboxes. Increasingly, though, we’ve heard from reporters who are receiving pitches directly to their personal email addresses instead of through the platform. Users have even gone as far as emailing editors, colleagues, and anyone associated with their employers.
To be clear: pitching journalists outside of Qwoted is prohibited and violates our community guidelines. It undermines the trust that makes this community work, and it’s the fastest way for a journalist to stop posting a call for experts altogether. When that happens, everyone loses opportunities.
At its heart, this update is about protecting the journalist’s choice to initiate contact. Their identity is shared the moment they engage, not before. Conversations start where they belong: inside Qwoted, on the journalist’s terms.
Every Qwoted user is reviewed
We want to be upfront about something important: this change is not about labeling free users as untrusted. Every account on Qwoted goes through review. Our team works every day to verify that users are who they say they are, confirm they’re legitimate professionals, and remove anyone who doesn’t meet our community standards. That commitment applies to every member, on every plan.
Reporter name visibility is a premium network feature. Team and Pro members complete an additional level of vetting beyond our standard review, and that extra step gives journalists added confidence about who can see their identity before they’ve chosen to engage. Think of it as a trust layer on top of a community that’s already built on authenticity.
Why on-platform pitching is better for everyone
Keeping pitches and conversations inside Qwoted isn’t just a rule, it’s a genuine advantage for both sides:
For journalists: You stay in control. Your inbox stays clean, every pitch arrives in one organized place tied to the call for experts it answers, and you decide when to make the connection. The moment you respond, the source knows exactly who they’re talking to.
For sources and PR professionals: Your pitch lands where the journalist is actually looking, alongside the call for experts it’s responding to, instead of buried in a crowded inbox. On-platform pitching also builds your track record and reputation within the Qwoted community, which matters for future opportunities.
Earning media is about being helpful to journalists on their terms. On-platform is their terms.
Want access to reporter names?
If seeing who’s behind a call for experts would help you pitch smarter, upgrading to a Team or Pro plan gets you there. As part of the upgrade, you’ll complete our additional vetting process, joining a group of members that journalists can engage with even greater confidence.
You can explore plan options anytime from your account settings, or visit qwoted.com to learn more.
Questions?
We know changes like this raise questions, and we’re here for them. Reach out to our team through the platform anytime. Protecting the trust between journalists and sources is what makes Qwoted work, and we’re grateful to this community for helping us keep raising the bar.
