What does anonymous sources mean?
An anonymous source is someone who is interviewed by a reporter but does not want to be named in the article the reporter writes.
Why do reporters keep their sources confidential?
Journalists rely on source protection to gather and reveal information in the public interest from confidential sources. Such sources may require anonymity to protect them from physical, economic or professional reprisals in response to their revelations.
Can a reporter refuses to reveal source?
The idea behind reporter’s privilege is that journalists have a limited First Amendment right not to be forced to reveal information or confidential news sources in court. Journalists rely on confidential sources to write stories that deal with matters of legitimate public importance.
What law protects reporters from revealing their sources?
Shield law
What is a shield law for journalists?
Shield laws are statutes that provide journalists either an absolute or qualified privilege to refuse to disclose sources used or information obtained in the course of news gathering.
How dangerous is being a journalist?
According to the United Nations, “Journalism is one of the most dangerous professions in the world.” Journalists go out to the streets to explore and report what is happening. Unfortunately, in this profession, the stories covered may result in kidnapping, assault and even death.
Can a journalist be forced to reveal confidential sources?
What advice should journalists give to sources who demand confidentiality?
If your source demands confidentiality, make sure you intend to maintain confidentiality if you agree. Also, no matter what you decide, it is a good idea to be clear with your source about what he or she should expect with respect to confidentiality.
What are the sources for a reporter?
Types of sources
- Reporters. One of the most reliable sources of information (although not completely reliable) are other journalists.
- Primary sources. Often the source is someone at the centre of the event or issue.
- Written sources.
- Leaked documents.
- Secondary sources.
- Tip-offs.
- On the record.
- Non-attributable.
What are stored sources?
Stored sources. This refers to information you can look up, in a book, in a library, on the Web – anywhere that information is recorded. The good news reporter knows sources of information and can find them quickly. Once, this was considered the least useful of all types of sources for the journalist.
How do you find the source of a story?
Look for other articles published on the subject in the past year, and make note of experts quoted. Then search those experts by name to determine if they are right for your piece. Follow secondary threads or sources found in the articles. But don’t just repeat someone else’s work; take the story further.
What does a scholarly source look like?
In scholarly articles, sources are cited clearly and transparently in a structured bibliography. What is the format? Scholarly articles follow a structure that frequently includes headings for different sections, such as abstract, introduction, methods or methodology, results, conclusion, or references.