Anonymous Sources

1
Anonymous Sources

• To name or not to name (a source), thats the
  problem.

2
Clinton-Lewinsky Coverage

• gt83 relied on
• anonymous sources
• -- Committee of Concerned Journalists (Jan-Mar
  1999)

3
Industry benchmark?

• Clinton-Lewinsky coverage
• The New York Times seems to work harder at
  getting sources on the record than The Washington
  Post, with the Los Angeles Times in between
• -- Committee of Concerned Journalists (Jan-Mar
  1999) studied both the frequency of anonymity
  during a slice of the scandal and the quality of
  source identification.

4
Quality of identification
Clinton-Lewinsky coverage

• analyzed gt2,000 anonymously attributed
  statements and allegations in major media
  stories.
• 6/10--gtin the vaguest terms
• lt 2/10 offered even the slightest hint of the
  sources allegiances.

5
Sources are called

• sources familiar with the investigation or
  close to the investigation
• anonymous sources

6
Read as

• a source told us this and we believe him and
  thats all we can tell you. Trust us to trust
  the source.

American in the Age of Mixed Media -- Bill
Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel

• METHODOLOGY??

7
Trust Me journalism
Watergate -- 1972 Bob Woodward Carl Bernstein
(WP) - started releasing their investigation
reports of Nixons part - anonymous sources -
major media not dare to quote
8
Slippery Slopes Mike Hoyt
- CJR senior editor

• Slope increases it pitch this way
• Anonymous but well-identified
• Anonymous and weakly identified
• Anonymous and no I.D.
• Anonymous but deceptively identified
• Anony. n protected with a false
  no-comment

9
Anonymity - HK Press

• Keyword ????
• Search results 196 articles
• Keyword source
• Search results 42 articles

10
Anonymous Sources gave us

• Budget
• Soccer betting
• Vice-chm of China Reserve Bank
• Broken-tooth trial
• Jiangxi school blusting
• MTR to build new railway
• HSBC to downsize

• iAsia seeks GEM
• Cable TV-ESPN deal
• Real estate transactn
• Stricter GEM list rules
• Xue Ximen scolded by President Jiang
• etc...
• 5-11/3

11
Discussion - 1

• Is there anything wrong with this
• reliance on anonymous sources?
• Identify?
• To what extent?
• gtgtIncreasing trend

12
PROs n Cons

• Offering anonymity - the only way to gain access
  to certain sources - protection.
• Critical tool - watchdog/investigative

13
PROs n Cons
gtgt Carl Berstein - (In Watergate) I dont think
we ever named a source. Because it would have
been impossible to pursue the story without the
use of anonymous sources. gtgt Jackie Judd (ABC)
- know from context - Ann Devroy (WP Whitehouse
reporter) had gotten much more information of
the White House than other reporters -- heavy
reliance on background info and quotes
14
PROs n Cons

• Anonymous source - less accountable for his or
  her words - without facing consequences.
• gtgt Less accountable for misleading or lying or
  misintrepretation.
• gtgt two-source rule - dead?

15
HKJA - Codes of Ethics

• Journalists should protect their sources of
  information.

16

• To avoid misleading the public, journalists
  should strive not to use information provided by
  anonymous sources.
• In cases in which anonymity is necessary,
  extraordinary care must be exercised to ascertain
  the veracity of information so provided.

17
Negotiation
Murray Marder (retired - WP) ...I dealt with
sources all my life I dont allow them to say
what I cant identify them with
18
Risk

• Competition -- weaker terms
• Manipulate the press
• Declining trust/ gambling credibility
• Increasing reliance on sources
• gtgt norm/routine

19
Anonymous Sources gave us

• Budget
• Soccer betting
• Vice-chm of China Reserve Bank
• Broken-tooth trial
• Jiangxi school blusting
• MTR to build new railway
• HSBC to downsize

• iAsia seeks GEM
• Cable TV-ESPN deal
• Real estate transactn
• Stricter GEM list rules
• Xue Ximen scolded by President Jiang
• etc...

20
Also

• Oriental Daily (Real Estate) 2000-3-10
• Universal Building hits highest per-square price
  ever since the Asian financial Crisis
• Unit 149 of Universal Building was sold at
  6,600 per sq. meter, cccording to a real estate
  source

21
And

• ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
• Singtao Daily (Real Estate) 2001-3-11
• A source said Tuen Mun ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
  ? ? ? .... ? ? ? ? ? ? price between 2,182 to
  2,379.

22
And more

• ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
• MingPao (Racing) 2001-3-9
• The Jockey Club got noticed of ? ? ?s decision
  not coming to race in HK, according to a source
  who refused to reveal the truth of the refusal.

23
And more
? ? ? ? ? Honda Civic Type R Singtao
(Automobile) 2001-3-10 ? Honda Civic Type R? ? ?
? ? Accord Civic Type R... ? According to a
source/sources?? ? ? ? ? Honda Civic Type R may
hit the market by the year-end at a price range
from 180,000 to 20,000.
24
Discussion - 3

• Assume the journalist is satisfied
• with a sources honesty, how much
• description must the journalist share
• with the audience?
• Rationale?
• Track record?

25
Trade-off ?

• Minimal disclosure vs. Transparency
• gtgt precision and specificity can make all the
  difference in determining what info actually
  means
• Echo effects - misinpretation
• gtgt Standards?

26
Think before...

• How much unique/direct knowledge?
• Motives?
• Blind quotes?
• Track record
• Seeking truth/ an excuse to go with the story

27
Thank you