The document discusses the use of anonymous sources in journalism, emphasizing the importance of verifying the reliability of such information. It poses critical questions that journalists should consider when using anonymous sources, including the credibility and motives of the source. The document also references various articles and guidelines related to handling anonymous sources in news reporting.

1. ANONYMOUS SOURCES By Marina Hendricks December 2009

2. TO READ: The Seattle Times and Sen. Brock Adams http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19920301&slug=1478550 The Washington Post and Janet Cooke http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bradlee/background_cooke.html Jim Lehrer Interview with Ben Bradlee http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bradlee/transcript_sources.html American Journalism Review/Anonymous Sources http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=1596

3. TO READ: First Amendment Center/Court Cases http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=15634 Student Press Law Center/Navigating the Minefield/Mike Hiestand http://www.studentpress.org/acp/trends/~law0506college.html The Poynter Institute/Guidelines/Al Tompkins http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4361 The Poynter Institute/Questions to Ask/Kelly McBride http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=70904

4. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION …

5. Anonymous Sources Is the information essential? Is the information fact, not opinion or judgment? Is the source really in a position to know? Is this an eyewitness? “ The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosensteil

6. Anonymous Sources What other indicators of reliability are there? (multiple sources, independent corroboration, experience with the source) What descriptors can be used so the audience can decide what weight to assign the source? What are the source’s motives? “ The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosensteil