How to pitch a story without having your idea stolen

I was paranoid about this as well when I started out. As a rule, I don't pitch story ideas to newspapers editors unless I have a ongoing relationship at some level. As for magazines, they tend to freelance most of their stories anyway so your story idea is typically safe there. However, it's happened to me before at magazines where a staff writer wrote a story that I had pitched in the previous year.

So I've found the best way to protect a truly unique story idea is to have your sources keep their mouths shut. You would be amazed how many will do just that if you ask them and give them a reason. After all, they are your sources for a reason -- they trust you. Use their trust and parlay it into the story.

Editors may get irritated if his/her own reporters can't get the necessary information, but if it's truly a unique story idea worth telling and all the key sources will only talk to you, chances are nobody can steal your idea and you will be writing the story. Dick move, yes, but you typically only need to do it once per editor.