Critical Issues In Journalism and global Communications

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Critical Issues In Journalism and global
Communications

• By Stanley Cheung Rachna Vyas
• JMSC
• March 11, 2003

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Why should we use anonymous sources

• Whistleblowers Individuals from which the
  organizations they work call attention to
  negligence, abuses, or dangers that threaten the
  public interests.
• The information cannot be obtained by alternative
  means.
• It is a fact, not a judgement.

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• The sources are reliable.
• Benefit to free flow of information.
• Arouse issues to be discussed.
• Widely accepted method, like quoting diplomats.
• The use of anonymous sources is that the practice
  may provide minority and dissident groups access
  to the news media. (Herbert Strentz, News
  Reporters and News Sources, p.107)

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Other comments

• Such confidential sources played an
  indispensable role in revealing the Pentagon
  Papers, the Watergate scandal, and the more
  recent tobacco industry scandals. (Herbert N.
  Foerstel, From Watergate to Monicagate, p.185)
• I think (anonymous sources) can be a very
  effective reporting tool. You simply cannot
  publish certain stories if you dont give
  anonymity based on a sources fear of reprisal or
  a decision that they dont want to be in the
  spotlight. (Beaupre, president of AP Managing
  Editors)

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• Look at all the stuff thats been from anonymous
  sources over the years and very little of it has
  been wrong. I would argue its often more correct
  because the reporter knows his or her rear end is
  on the line. (Bob Woodward, author)

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Examples

• Watergate scandal
• Guangdongs pneumonia-like virus

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• Report on Jiang

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Conclusion

• In 1999, Steven Esposito announced a study on the
  use of anonymous sources by television coverage
  on the Clinton-Lewinsky story from January 21,
  1998 to September 9 the same year. The result was
  72 percent of the 1,107 stories carried on NBC,
  ABC, CBS, and CNN contained at least one
  anonymous source. Nearly half (45.1 percent) of
  the 4,833 sources cited were anonymous.

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• Because the use of anonymous sources appears to
  be a permanent part of the journalistic
  landscape, the only meaningful debate within the
  profession centers on appropriate guidelines for
  their use (Herbert N. Foerstel, From Watergate
  to Monicagate, p.203)