Tools for civic media.

Good practices for quality information

SOURCES: Sources are a crucial element for a journalism aimed at a quality outcome. A wrong or unverified source could easily damage a news-reporting credibility. A journalist should always pursue “on the record” statements, rather then “off the record” ones (named sources vs. unnamed sources), and make sure to specifically mention all his/her sources, except for safety or confidentiality concerns. Never cite sources in the plural when you have only one source.

ANONYMOUS SOURCES: A named source is always preferable to an unnamed source, identifying them by name and position. Even information from a named source should normally be checked and balanced, especially in a situation of conflict or a negotiation. As for anonymous sources, the Reuters approach is to use them «when we believe they are providing accurate, reliable and newsworthy information that we could not obtain any other way.» The Bloomberg handbook is even more drastic: «anonymous sources are unacceptable.» After suggesting to talk with them in order to have them come in the open, the handbook adds that «if five trusted sourced wish to remain anonymous», a journalist can quote them as «people familiar with the issue…» -- but always with his/her supervisor authorization. In this respect, the Reuters standards require a higher degree of verification and accountability: «Cross-check your information. Two sources are always better than one. Seek at least one source from each side. The track record, ranking and reasons of anonymous sources should always be double-checked. Use common sense. If something sounds faulty, keep verifying and cross-checking.»

In few instances, however, a single anonymous source can suffice. Caution is mandatory, but the same Reuters handbook supports information provided by «a trusted source with direct knowledge about the issue», even though insisting that «Stories based on a single, anonymous source should be the exception and require approval by an immediate supervisor.» Particularly for civic journalism, sources should be easily identified by the editorial staff and also their identity should be protected.

It is also necessary to record information from any source, either by taking notes or by printing out a hard copy of notes made on a computer, or by tape recording conversations. And other reporters cannot not considered sources.

DOCUMENTS: They are the pillars of a story, but can also be false or fabricated. The carrier of Peter Arnett, old-time CNN reporter, ended abruptly due to some fake documents. A trusted source could be misleading or certain documents could include errors and inaccuracies. Therefore they need to be verified and cross-checked, just like any other source.

FOLLOW-UP: Even after an inquiry publication, it is normal procedure for a desk manager to call up a source to verify a certain fact, quoting, or other elements in that story.

ATTRIBUTION: Accuracy requires a proper attribution for quotes, dates, names, and facts. Honesty is key for information attribution and processing as well. Do not copy without proper citation.

RUMOURS: Obviously no journalism standard guidelines consider rumours as facts. There are, however, times when rumours affect a very important sector, such as the financial markets, and can be used in a story. The general procedure is to be clear about what the rumour is about, trying to determine whether it is true or not, and contacting a company spokesperson or expert for comment (if available). And then write a story based on that comment, or the lack of it. In any case, as specified in the Bloomberg handbook, a clear title is needed and a rumour must be reported as such – never as a fact.