Black Executive Journal introduces Sourcing Desk, connecting qualified experts with BEJ reporters to share insights and contribute to business journalism.
The Black Executive Journal (BEJ) is introducing Source Desk, a platform designed to connect its reporters with qualified experts for original business journalism. Through an expert registry and dedicated reporting requests, Source Desk creates a structured channel for professionals to share knowledge, evidence and informed perspectives with the newsroom before stories are published.
Available at Source Desk, the platform invites executives, investors, economists, researchers, policymakers and founders to register as expert sources. Participation is open to qualified professionals of all backgrounds; applicants do not need to be Black, African or part of the diaspora.
The registry is merit-based, with sources subject to BEJ’s credential standards.
Source Desk gives approved experts access to reporters’ questions in their areas of expertise, connecting relevant professional knowledge with stories in development. Reporting requests outline the subject being examined, the questions the reporter is asking, the types of experts sought and the response deadline.
Experts can submit responses directly through the platform and provide supporting links.
The submission process encourages specific figures, transactions and examples, giving contributors a clear framework for sharing information that can inform a reported story.
Each reporting request gives prospective contributors context about the story and identifies the expertise the reporter is seeking. Sources can review the questions, prepare their responses and submit relevant supporting material through a dedicated form.
The platform also makes the terms of participation visible alongside the request, including the deadline, confidentiality expectations and the reminder that a response does not guarantee a quotation.
Source Desk incorporates a verification process to help editors assess contributors’ identities and professional credentials before quoting them. BEJ’s stated standard requires a source to pass at least two of three credential checks: a LinkedIn profile review, work-email-domain confirmation and a qualifying BEJ Desk record.
For the newsroom, the platform brings reporting requests, source responses and credential review into a dedicated workflow. Its editorial interface supports response tracking, verification checks, internal notes and links to published coverage.
Contributors can specify whether their responses are on the record, on background or off the record.
The submission form explains each option: on-the-record responses may be published with the contributor’s name, title and organization; background information may be attributed by role and sector; and off-the-record information is for the reporter’s understanding rather than publication or attribution.
Responding is free.
BEJ does not request or accept payment for coverage, and responses are selected for relevance and evidence. Registration, verification and submission do not guarantee inclusion in a published article.
Source Desk invites professionals to contribute substantive knowledge to BEJ’s reporting.
By pairing defined reporting questions with an expert registry and credential-review workflow, the platform provides a structured route for sources to participate and for the newsroom to evaluate their contributions.
Qualified experts can register at sources.blackexecutivebrief.com.
Share your expertise. Shape business journalism.
