Should the news use anonymous sources?

[Big Lebowski]

 No..."anonymous sources" include WAY too many America haters, you know the blame America first crowd, like the pres. of Iran. Since he's the next Hitler promising wipe Isreal off the map with a nuke, we don't need ..."anonymous sources" like him. Thanks for asking.

[ITSA426]

Isn't it a lot more comfortable when some foxpert just makes up the news?

[MichaelRW]

Isn't it a lot more comfortable when some foxpert just makes up the news?

How about providing a specific example with it's source?

[Mike DC]

IMHO, anonymous-sourced stories are but of a "nessecary evil" that needs to exist.  The capacity of anonymous sources to occasionally do great good offsets the dozens of times a day that it gets used to say something stupid.   

It's unfortunate that for every one legit usage of the anonymous source there's also a lot of schlock that get floated.  But I think it would be a mistake to reject a very valid reporting principle because of clumsy/biased usage.     

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The public starts talking about limiting the powers of something when the public stops trusting it to handle that power.  I don't think the problem is the anonymous sources; but rather the problem is a media that no longer uses them appropriately.

   

[Arthu®]

IMHO, anonymous-sourced stories are but of a "nessecary evil" that needs to exist.  The capacity of anonymous sources to occasionally do great good offsets the dozens of times a day that it gets used to say something stupid.   

It's unfortunate that for every one legit usage of the anonymous source there's also a lot of schlock that get floated.  But I think it would be a mistake to reject a very valid reporting principle because of clumsy/biased usage.     

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The public starts talking about limiting the powers of something when the public stops trusting it to handle that power.  I don't think the problem is the anonymous sources; but rather the problem is a media that no longer uses them appropriately.

   

but now how about keeping those sources anonymous? Should the government or any other party under circumstances be able to get the information about the source from the reporters by law. This was a big issue a couple of months back when two reporters of dutch newspaper were put in jail after they refused to give up the information about a source they had found that told them there was a huge leak with in the AIVD (Dutch version of the CIA, don't worry it isn't nearly as powerfull or resourcefull and is child's play compared to your service) that had leaked important information about state secrets to powerfull criminals.

Arthur

[CaptMarvel]

No. I don't think the press should use anonymous sources. It's just another way for them to lie about Republicans.

... that assertion is just absurd.

Your assertion about his assertion is just absurd...

[Troy]

I was thinking about this some more and it got me to think about the reverse scenario. Some of the people they do quote and stick on TV would be better off if left anonymous...

Oh well, as far as freedom goes, most of us are anonymous here in a way so we could spill all sorts of secrets of spread false information. The internet has put consumers into a bigger, better, faster mode and they have little patience slow breaking stories. However, the media has a responsibility to verify their sources even if it means possibly missing a scoop. I don't think that's always the case though. I think the industry is probably a lot different than the Watergate era. I think professional pride is a dying art any more.

Troy

[MichaelRW]

I think the industry is probably a lot different than the Watergate era. I think professional pride is a dying art any more.

Troy

So true, along with ethics.

[Big Lebowski]

   "better off if left anonymous"  But here's the problem...Would you like your neighbor to be hauled away to jail tonight? Then, "anonymously" call the police and say "he's running around naked with a bloody butchers knife in his hands". The point is, you could make up stuff "anonymously", and people could get hurt.

[Troy]

It was a joke - meant for some of the complete morons that manage to get interviewed on the news when they can't manage to find a credible eyewitness...

I don't need to see them on TV or hear whatever it is they hae to say. We were talking about news, not private citizens (you aren't anonymous when you call the cops anyway).

Troy