On Anonymous Sources: Glenn Guzzo

Guzzo, the former editor of the Denver Post, established a rigorous set of tests for including anonymous sources in stories:

The policy I established was that anonymous sources could not appear in the newspaper without the approval of either the Editor or the Managing Editor. This policy alone reduced reliance upon anonymous sources because journalists did not want to have to overcome that hurdle.

Our journalists were told that they should expect these questions when they brought a request for anonymity, so they could consider this list a checklist of their own:

• Is the information essential to the story?
• Is the information fact, not judgment? We will not allow anonymity for judgmental statements.
• Is our source truly in a position to know -- are we talking about an eyewitness?
• What other indicators of reliability do we have (multiple sources, independent corroboration, experience with the source)?
• Is there a legitimate reason for anonymity?
• Finally, what descriptors can we use so that readers can decide what weight to assign to this source?

In my experience, journalists are too ready to grant anonymity. Those who adopt an attitude that they EXPECT to get it all on the record often do. Remember, there are reasons why the source wants to speak to you in the first place.
The corollary: The great investigative reporting team of Don Barlett and Jim Steele EXPECT that for each fact they want to declare in a story, they will be able to find a document to support the declaration. Consequently, they find much more documentation than others, and in places most others would not think to look.

To my dismay, I have seen reporters -- very experienced, talented reporters OFFERING anonymity without being asked for it. Rather than expecting to get the info on the record, they expect they will fail to get the information on the record, so they concede the point up front, insuring their failure.

To give yourself the best chance to get it all on the record:

• Never offer anonymity.
• Don't be so quick to say yes to those who request it. It's negotiable. And you'll be surprised how often a source flip-flops.
• Consider the checklist above.

The reporter who succeeds at this not only gets the more credible story, but builds self-confidence and a valuable reputation among sources as well as colleagues. There are examples of reporters, having insisted on this measure of integrity with their sources, getting the exclusive calls on important stories because the sources have confidence that those reporters can a) get the story and b) get it right.

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