US: many editors do not allow use of anonymous sources

According to the Associated Press , editors from about one in four newspapers who responded to a recent survey forbid reporters from using anonymous sources.  Most other editors said they at least have policies designed to limit the practice.  One editor even claimed that his paper’s policies would never have allowed Deep Throat, the man who recently revealed himself as the source behind the US Watergate scandal, to be a source.  The practice of using anonymous sources, meaning sources that speak to reporters on the condition that their identities remain undisclosed, has been questioned recently, most notably in the case that prompted Newsweek magazine to retract a story (see former posting) . The Associated Press and the Associated Press Managing Editors Association jointly surveyed American newspapers to better understand their policies.  The project, thought to be the most comprehensive of its kind conducted in recent years, drew replies from about 28% of the nation’s 1,450 daily newspapers. Most dailies that do allow use of anonymous sources are based in large cities and have operating bureaus overseas or in Washington, where sources often request anonymity. Those that have tight restrictions on anonymous sources permit it only when someone could lose his job out of retribution, or to protect the identity of a rape victim, illegal immigrant, or someone suffering from an addiction.

Source:  Associated Press