Protecting your sources
Some information reaches the public only because someone takes a risk to reveal it. Source protection sustains the trust that makes such reporting possible. It begins before an interview, when the journalist explains the terms and understands the promise being made.
The essentials
Treat a promise of anonymity as a serious professional commitment, not a casual way to obtain a quote. Understand the risks before making it. Editorial pressure does not dissolve the trust placed in you, and the possible consequences for both source and reporter must be considered in advance.
Ask three questions before granting anonymity. Is the information genuinely in the public interest? Would identification expose the source to a real risk? Can the information be checked through documents or independent reporting? Anonymity should not provide cover for an uncheckable attack made without accountability.
Agree the terms before the conversation. On the record means publishable and attributable; off the record means not for publication. Information publishable without naming the source requires a clear, specific agreement. Never assume that your definitions match theirs. Protection extends beyond removing a name: occupation, location or a distinctive role can identify a person indirectly when the details are combined.
Take it to the field
Clarify the interview’s terms before receiving confidential information. Review indirect clues too: a job, neighbourhood or role may identify someone even without a name. Source protection must be assessed across the entire story.
Your turn
Draft your standard spoken agreement in your own words. Explain on the record, off the record and publication without attribution in 30 seconds, as you would before a sensitive interview.