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29-445: No comment indicates that the speaker does not choose to say anything on the subject. It is not a request for the material to be considered off the record or otherwise kept confidential. If the speaker wishes to talk about the subject, but does not wish to be named as a source, they must obtain the journalist's explicit agreement in advance that the response is not to be used for attribution. In many English-speaking countries such as

58-443: A "tip-off". Information that leads to the uncovering of more interesting information is called a "lead". The identity of anonymous sources is sometimes revealed to senior editors or a news organization's lawyers, who would be considered bound by the same confidentiality as the journalist. (Lawyers are generally protected from subpoena in these cases by attorney–client privilege .) Legal staff may need to give counsel about whether it

87-529: A news event or issue. According to Shoemaker (1996) and McQuail (1994), there are a multitude of factors that tend to condition the acceptance of sources as bona fide by investigative journalists . Reporters are expected to develop and cultivate sources, especially if they regularly cover a specific topic, known as a " beat ". Beat reporters must, however, be cautious of becoming too close to their sources. Reporters often, but not always, give greater leeway to sources with little experience. For example, sometimes

116-418: A non-disclosure agreement, a source may be able to use contract law to control the use of the information provided or protect their privacy. Some journalists and news organizations have policies against accepting information "off the record" because they believe it interferes with their ability to report truthfully, or because they suspect it may be intended to mislead them or the public. Some people believe it

145-499: A notepad or recalled from memory). This often shows up in broadcasts as "John Brown declined to be interviewed on camera, but said" or simply "a spokesperson said". Some interview subjects are uncomfortable being recorded. Some are afraid they will be inarticulate or feel embarrassed if the interview is broadcast. Others might be uncooperative or distrust the motives or competence of the journalist, and wish to prevent them from being able to broadcast an unflattering sound bite or part of

174-565: A person will say they don't want to talk, and then proceed to talk; if that person is not a public figure, reporters are less likely to use that information. Journalists are also encouraged to be skeptical without being cynical, as per the saying "If your mother says she loves you, check it out," popularized by the City News Bureau of Chicago . As a rule of thumb, but especially when reporting on controversy, reporters are expected to use multiple sources. A journalist may agree to discuss

203-529: A report. Practitioners sometimes use the terms "watchdog reporting" or "accountability reporting". Most investigative journalism has traditionally been conducted by newspapers, wire services , and freelance journalists. With the decline in income through advertising, many traditional news services have struggled to fund investigative journalism, due to it being very time-consuming and expensive. Journalistic investigations are increasingly carried out by news organizations working together, even internationally (as in

232-495: A research group, found use of anonymous sources dropped from 29 percent of all articles in 2003 to just seven percent in 2004, following widespread embarrassment of media after the Bush administration claims that Iraq had WMDs were found to be without basis. In the U.S., this practice is generally not well seen. However, lengthy lists of reporters' sexual involvement with sources were published by American Journalism Review and by

261-481: A topic "off the record". According to the Poynter Institute , if a reporter agrees to an off-the-record conversation, "the ethical thing to do is not report or even repeat that information". Unlike a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), an agreement to talk off the record has no legal force. Unlike a non-disclosure agreement, it lacks one or more of the elements that make up a binding contract. However, like

290-546: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Journalism sourcing#Using confidential information In journalism , a source is a person, publication , or knowledge of other record or document that gives timely information . Outside journalism, sources are sometimes known as "news sources". Examples of sources include official records, publications or broadcasts , officials in government or business, organizations or corporations, witnesses of crime, accidents or other events, and people involved with or affected by

319-496: Is advisable to publish certain information, or about court proceedings that may attempt to learn confidential information. Senior editors are in the loop to prevent reporters from fabricating non-existent anonymous sources and to provide a second opinion about how to use the information obtained, how to or how not to identify sources, and whether other options should be pursued. The use of anonymous sources has always been controversial. Some news outlets insist that anonymous sources are

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348-615: Is called investigative journalism and is distinct from apparently similar work done by police, lawyers, auditors, and regulatory bodies in that it is not limited as to target, not legally founded and closely connected to publicity." Early newspapers in British colonial America were often suppressed by the authorities for their investigative journalism. Examples include Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick and Benjamin Franklin's New England Courant . Journalists who reported on

377-461: Is the identification of the source of reported information. Journalists' ethical codes normally address the issue of attribution, which is sensitive because in the course of their work, journalists may receive information from sources who wish to remain anonymous. In investigative journalism , important news stories often depend on such information. For example, the Watergate scandal which led to

406-410: Is unethical for a source to give information off the record. Even if writers cannot report certain information directly, they can use "off the record" information to uncover related facts, or to find other sources who are willing to speak on the record. This is especially useful in investigative journalism . Information about a surprise event or breaking news , whether on or off the record, is known as

435-491: The Los Angeles Times . Whether in a formal, sit-down interview setting or an impromptu meeting on the street, some sources request that all or part of the encounter not be captured in an audio or video recording ("tape"), but continue speaking to the reporter. As long as the interview is not confidential, the reporter may report the information given by the source, even repeating direct quotes (perhaps scribbled on

464-518: The Center for Public Integrity which includes 165 investigative reporters in over 65 countries working collaboratively on crime, corruption, and abuse of power at a global level, under Gerard Ryle as Director. Working with major media outlets globally, they have exposed organised crime, international tobacco companies, private military cartels, asbestos companies, climate change lobbyists, details of Iraq and Afghanistan war contracts, and most recently

493-428: The U.K. and the U.S. , this phrase is also a stock phrase , especially in popular culture, where a suspect or person being interviewed in a criminal investigation wishes to exercise their right to silence . The first recorded usage as a stock answer to questions was made in 1950 by Charles Ross , President Harry Truman 's White House press secretary . According to William Safire , Winston Churchill attributed

522-561: The UK the following conventions are generally accepted: However, confusion over the precise meaning of "unattributable" and "off-the-record" has led to more detailed formulations: Investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, racial injustice , political corruption , or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing

551-549: The budgets for investigative journalism. A 2002 study concluded "that investigative journalism has all but disappeared from the nation's commercial airwaves." Non-commercial journalism has increasingly stepped-up to work on this growing need for in-depth investigations and reporting. One of the largest teams of investigative journalists is the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) launched in 1997 by

580-474: The case of the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers ), or by nonprofit outlets such as ProPublica , which rely on the support of the public and benefactors to fund their work. University of Missouri journalism professor Steve Weinberg defined investigative journalism as: "Reporting, through one's own initiative and work product, matters of importance to readers, viewers, or listeners." In many cases,

609-551: The course of a criminal investigation, as any other citizen would be. Even in jurisdictions that grant journalists special legal protections, journalists are typically required to testify if they bear witness to a crime. Journalists defend the use of anonymous sources for a variety of reasons: The use of anonymous sources is also criticized by some journalists and government officials: There are several categories of "speaking terms" (agreements concerning attribution) that cover information conveyed in conversations with journalists. In

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638-570: The doings of the British authorities would later contribute to revolutionary sentiment in the run-up to the American Revolution ; one prominent example was the Boston Gazette , contributed to by Samuel Adams among others. American journalism textbooks point out that muckraking standards promoted by McClure's Magazine around 1902, "Have become integral to the character of modern investigative journalism." Furthermore,

667-429: The downfall of U.S. president Richard Nixon was in part exposed by information revealed by an anonymous source (" Deep Throat ") to investigative reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein . Divulging the identity of a confidential source is frowned upon by groups representing journalists in many democracies. In many countries, journalists have no special legal status, and may be required to divulge their sources in

696-453: The interview out of context. Professional public relations officers know that having the reporter repeat their words, rather than being heard directly on the air, will blunt the effect of their words. By refusing to be taped or on the air, a person avoids having an audience see or hear them being uncomfortable (if they have unpleasant news); it also permits the individual to be anonymous or identified only by title. In journalism, attribution

725-434: The only way to obtain certain information, while others prohibit the use of unnamed sources at all times. News organizations may impose safeguards, such as requiring that information from an anonymous source be corroborated by a second source before it can be printed. Prominent reports based on anonymous sources have sometimes been proven to be incorrect. For instance, much of the O. J. Simpson reporting from unnamed sources

754-439: The phrase to American diplomat Sumner Welles . Some public relations professionals have argued against the use of no comment , stating that one of the goals of working with the press is to resolve issues before they become hot topics. Offering no comment allows the press to fill in the blanks, diverts the focus of the publicity, and sacrifices an opportunity to communicate key messages. This journalism -related article

783-507: The subjects of the reporting wish the matters under scrutiny to remain undisclosed. There are currently university departments for teaching investigative journalism. Conferences are conducted presenting peer-reviewed research into investigative journalism. British media theorist Hugo de Burgh (2000) states that: "An investigative journalist is a man or woman whose profession is to discover the truth and to identify lapses from it in whatever media may be available. The act of doing this generally

812-552: The successes of the early muckrakers continued to inspire journalists. The outlook for investigative journalism in the United States was improved by the 1960s with the Freedom of Information Act and New York Times Co. v. Sullivan . The invention of the photocopier also offered an assistive tool to whistleblowers . The growth of media conglomerates in the U.S. since the 1980s has been accompanied by massive cuts in

841-575: Was later deemed inaccurate. Newsweek retracted a story about a Qur'an allegedly being flushed down a toilet—the story had been based upon one unnamed military source. After the embarrassment, a news organization will often "clamp down" on the guidelines for using unnamed sources, but those guidelines are often forgotten after the scandal dies down. One study found that large newspapers' use of anonymous sources dropped dramatically between 2003 and 2004. The Project for Excellence in Journalism ,

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