<sod>NBC discussed whether to release the tape and had lawyers review the legality of the publication, as is common among other news media due to the possibility that the involved parties might file a lawsuit if the video was released.<ref name=":1" /> By Tuesday, October 4, NBC had drafted a story that it declined to broadcast for another three days.<ref name=":1" /><ref name = "Fernandez">{{cite news |url=http://people.com/politics/donald-trump-hot-mic-tape-leaked/ |title=This Is How the Hot Mic Tape of Donald Trump Was Leaked |last=Fernandez |first=Alexia |date=October 8, 2016 |work=People |accessdate=October 9, 2016}}</ref> On Friday, October 7, at around 11 a.m., an unidentified source gave a copy of the tape to ''Washington'' ''Post'' reporter [[David Fahrenthold]], who contacted NBC for comment, notified the Trump campaign that he had the video, obtained confirmation of its authenticity, and released a story and the tape itself by 4 p.m.<ref name = Fahrenthold/><ref name=WP-LewdTape-RaceWasOn>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-caller-had-a-lewd-tape-of-donald-trump-then-the-race-was-on/2016/10/07/31d74714-8ce5-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html |title=A caller had a lewd tape of Donald Trump. Then the race to break the story was on. |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=October 7, 2016 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=October 9, 2016}}</ref> Alerted that the ''Post'' might release the story immediately,<ref name="WP-LewdTape-RaceWasOn" /> NBC News released its own story "mere minutes" after the ''Post'' story was published.<ref name = "explain" /><eod>
<sod>NBC discussed whether to release the tape and had lawyers review the legality of the publication, as is common among other news media due to the possibility that the involved parties might file a lawsuit if the video was released.<ref name=":1" /> By Tuesday, October 4, NBC had drafted a story that it declined to broadcast for another three days.<ref name=":1" /><ref name = "Fernandez">{{cite news |url=http://people.com/politics/donald-trump-hot-mic-tape-leaked/ |title=This Is How the Hot Mic Tape of Donald Trump Was Leaked |last=Fernandez |first=Alexia |date=October 8, 2016 |work=People |accessdate=October 9, 2016}}</ref> On Friday, October 7, at around 11 a.m., an unidentified source gave a copy of the tape to ''Washington Post'' reporter [[David Fahrenthold]], who contacted NBC for comment, notified the Trump campaign that he had the video, obtained confirmation of its authenticity, and released a story and the tape itself by 4 p.m.<ref name = Fahrenthold/><ref name=WP-LewdTape-RaceWasOn>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-caller-had-a-lewd-tape-of-donald-trump-then-the-race-was-on/2016/10/07/31d74714-8ce5-11e6-875e-2c1bfe943b66_story.html |title=A caller had a lewd tape of Donald Trump. Then the race to break the story was on. |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=October 7, 2016 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=October 9, 2016}}</ref> Alerted that the ''Post'' might release the story immediately,<ref name="WP-LewdTape-RaceWasOn" /> NBC News released its own story "mere minutes" after the ''Post'' story was published.<ref name = "explain" /><eod>