

Anonymous sources: an experiment - j_b_f
http://jbf.posterous.com/anonymous-sources-an-experiment

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anigbrowl
Anonymous sources are not anonymous to the press, who usually require at least
two independent sources for any given assertion - at least, those news organs
that wish to be taken seriously over the long term do. Journalistic anonymity
can be used abusively to manipulate the news, but then so can official
stonewalling and censure of outspoken individuals.

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m_h_l
What's the point of having the source maintain anonymity for "normal" non-
secret stuff? There's no point in not naming your source unless it's damaging
secret stuff--in which case call your source "anonymous" instead of "a senior
administration official" or "party staffers".

For anything else, if your sources remain unnamed, there's no way for the
public to corroborate your assertions, and it's not "news" anymore, it's
"opinion"...

