Newspaper ombudsmen's reactions to use of anonymous sources

Newspaper Research Journal

Volumn 18, Issue 3-4, 1997, Pages 141-153

  Wilson, Sherrie L ^a   Babcock, William A ^b   Pribek, Jolin ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 79951730826     PISSN: 07395329     EISSN: 23764791     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/073953299701800310     Document Type: Article

References (60)

1. Hugh M. Culbertson, Leaks -A Dilemma for Editors as Well as Officials. Journ alism Quarterly, Autumn 1980, p. 402;
2. Hugh M. Culbertson, Survey Shows Editors Divided on Handling Unnamed Sources. presstime, August 1980, p.25.
3. Alicia C. Shepard, Anonymous Sources. American Journalism Review, December 1994,p.21.
4. Carl Hausman, Crisis of Conscience: Perspectives on Journ alism Ethics. New York: Harper Collins, 1992, p. 136.
5. Carl Hausman, Crisis of Conscience: Perspectives on Journ alism Ethics. New York: Harper Collins, 1992., pp. 136-137.
6. Culbertson, Leaks - A Dilemma, Crisis of Conscience: Perspectives on Journ alism Ethics. New York: Harper Collins, 1992., p. 408.
7. Jacques Leslie, The Anonymous Source: Second Thoughts on "Deep Throat." Washington Journalism Review, September 1986, pp. 33-35;
8. Richard Scott Mowrer, The Press Is in Danger of Manipulation When It Quotes Anonymous Sources. presstime, June 1987, p. 74;
9. Kent Bernard, A Serious Proposal: Let's Ban All Use of Anonymous Sources for One Year. ASNE Bulletin, April 1987, pp. 3435;
10. George Blake,. Quill, April 1988, pp. 21-23; Rebuilding Credibility: Banning Anonymous Sources Is a Start
11. John Doe, Anonymity Isn't So Bad. Quill, January 1986, pp. 2324;
12. Deni Elliott, Thou Shalt Not Trick Thy Source. Fine Line, July/August 1991, pp. 23;
13. Mike Feinsilber, The Anonymous Source Has Become an Institution. presstime, July 1984, p. 16;
14. James J. Kilpatrick, 'Trust-Me"Journalism: An Identifiable Source Is Fed Up. Washington Journalism Review, January-February 1988, pp. 43-45;
15. Felix Winternitz, When Unnamed Sources are Blamed: Reporters ' Hands are Tied. Quill, October 1989, pp. 38-40;
16. Frank Smyth, "Official Sources," "Western Diplomats,"and Other Voices from the Mission. Columbia Journalism Review, January/February 1993, p. 35;
17. Herb Strentz, When is the Use of Anonymous Sources Permissible? Quill and Scroll, December/January 1989, pp. 8-9;
18. Thomas Winship, Wiggins vs. the Others on Anonymous Quotes. Editor & Publisher, October 5, 1991, pp. 7,36.
19. K. Tim Wulfemeyer, Use of Anonymous Sources in Journalism. Newspaper Research Journal, Winter 1983, pp. 46-47.
20. Jacqueline Sharkey, Offside on Os. American Journalism Review,December 1994, p.21.
21. Mark J. Parrell, Press/Confidential Source Relationships: Protecting Sources and the FirstAmendment. Communications and the Law, March 1993, pp. 4773;
22. Laurence B. Alexander, Civil Liabilities for Journalists Who Violate Agreements of Confidentiality with Sources. Newspaper Research Journal, Summer/Fa ll 1993, pp. 45-59
23. Matthew D. Bunker and Sigman L. Splichal, Legally Enforceable Reporter-Source Agreements: Chilling Newsgathering at the Source? Journalism Quarterly, Winter 1993, pp. 939-946;
24. Jeffry A. Brueggeman, Where Is the First Amendment When You Really Need It? Lowering the Constitutional Barrier to Suits Against the Press. Journal of Law & Politics, Fall 1992, pp. 147-167; and
25. Susan Allison Weilert, Cohen v. Cowles Media Co.: Bad News for Newsgatherers; Worse News for the Public. University of California, Davis, Law Review, 1991-92, pp. 1099-1139.
26. Wulfemeyer, University of California, Davis, Law Review, 1991-92,., p. 45.
27. Charles N. Davis, Susan D. Ross, and Paul H. Jr. Gates, How Newspaper Editors Feel about Confidential Sources in Wake of Cohen v. Cowles. Newspaper Research Journal, Summer/Fall 1996, p. 93.
28. Edmund B. Lambeth, Committed Journalism: An Ethic forthe Profession, 2nd ed. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992, p. 114.
29. Hugh M. Culbertson, Veiled News Sources- Whoand WhatAre They?ANPA News Reserach Bulletin No.3, May 14, 1975, p.3. Culbertson counted as veiled attributions both the use of unnamed personal sources and the use of information attributed to named organizations (such as the State Department), organizations identified more generally (such as police said), media and related institutions (such as the New York Times reported), and countries (such as the United States said).
30. Hugh M. Culbertson, Veiled Attribution: An Element of Style? Journalism Quarterly, Autumn 1978, p. 459.
31. Culbertson, Veiled News Sources, Journalism Quarterly, Autumn 1978., p. 3.
32. Culbertson, Veiled News Sources, Journalism Quarterly, Autumn 1978., p. 460.
33. K. Tim Wulfemeyer, How and Why Anonymous Attribution is Used by Time and Newsweek. Journalism Quarterly, Spring 1985, p. 85. Wulfemeyer defined the use of an anonymous source as "attributing a direct or paraphrased quote to an unnamed individu al or to an unnamed plural persons." Ibid., p. 83. His Time and Newsweek data, therefore, cannot be compared directly with Culbertson 's because they used different definitions of anonymous sources.
34. K. Tim Wulfemeyer and Lori L. McFadden, Anonymous Attribution in Network News. Journalism Quarterly, Autumn 1986, p. 471. Use of anonymous attribution was defined the same way as in Wulfemeyer's Time and Newsweek study.
35. K. Tim Wulfemeyer and Lori L. McFadden, Anonymous Attribution in Network News. Journalism Quarterly, Autumn 1986, p. 471. Use of anonymous attribution was defined the same way as in Wulfemeyer's Time and Newsweek study.
36. Wulfemeyer, How And Why Anonymous, op. cit., p. 85.
37. Bryan Denham, AnonymousGovernmentSources in theNew York Times 'Coverage of the Middle East Peace Accords, the Conflict in Bosnia, and the Clinton Health Care Package. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Commu nication, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1994, p. 11.
38. Bryan Denham, AnonymousGovernmentSources in theNew York Times 'Coverage of the Middle East Peace Accords, the Conflict in Bosnia, and the Clinton Health Care Package. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Commu nication, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1994., pp. 14-15.
39. John W. Williams, Use ofAnonymous Attribution: Comparison Across Newspapers, Comparison Across Issues. Paper presented at the annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication,Washington, D.C., August 1995, pp.11-12.
40. Daniel Riffe and Gail Johnson, Unnamed Sources in White House Coverage. Paper presented at the annual conv ention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Washington, D.C., August 1995, p. 14.
41. Virginia Dodge Fielder and David H. Weaver, Public Opinion on InvestigativeReporting. Newspaper Research Journal, January 1982, p. 58.
42. HughM. Culbertson and Nancy Somerick, Cloaked Attribution - What Does It Mean to News Readers? ANPA News Research Bulletin No.1, May 19,1976, p. 5.
43. Hugh M. Culbertson and Nancy Somerick, Variables Affect How Persons View Unnamed News Sources. Journalism Quarterly, Spring 1977, pp. 58-69.
44. Fred Fedler and Tim Counts, Variations in Attribution Affect Readers ' Evaluations of Stories. Newspaper Research Journal, April 1981, p. 29.
45. Fred Fedler and Tim Counts, Variations in Attribution Affect Readers ' Evaluations of Stories. Newspaper Research Journal, April 1981., p. 30.
46. F. Dennis Hale, Unnamed Sources: Their Impact on the Perceptions of Stories. Newspaper Research Journal, Winter 1984, p. 54.
47. F. Dennis Hale, Unnamed Sources: Their Impact on the Perceptions of Stories. Newspaper Research Journal, Winter 1984., p.55.
48. John B. Adams, The Relative Credibility of 20 Unnamed News Sources. Journalism Quarterly, Winter 1962, pp. 79-82;
49. John B. Adams, Unnamed Sources and the News: A Follow-up Study. Journalism Quarterly, Spring 1964, pp. 262-264;
50. Daniel Riffe, Relative Credibility Revisited: How 18 Unnamed Sources Are Rated. Journalism Quarterly, Winter 1980, pp. 618-623.
51. Boeyink, Relative Credibility Revisited: How 18 Unnamed Sources Are Rated. Journalism Quarterly, Winter 1980., pp. 235-236.
52. William B. Blankenburg, The Utility ofAnonymous Attribution. Newspaper Research Journal, Winter/Spring 1992, pp. 10-23.
53. William B. Blankenburg, The Utility ofAnonymous Attribution. Newspaper Research Journal, Winter/Spring 1992., pp. 19-21.
54. Boeyink, The Utility ofAnonymous Attribution. Newspaper Research Journal, Winter/Spring 1992., pp. 236-243.
55. Richard Cunningham, Use of Anonymous Sources. Editor & Publisher, March 5, 1983, p. 36.
56. Richard Cunningham, Use of Anonymous Sources. Editor & Publisher, March 5, 1983, p. 36.
57. Richard Cunningham, Use of Anonymous Sources. Editor & Publisher, March 5, 1983, p. 36.
58. Richard Cunningham, Ombudsman Losing Trust in "Sources." Editor & Publisher, October 18, 1983, pp. 5,18.
59. Tony Case, Ombudsman Overboard? Editor & Publisher, May 25, 1996, p. 9.
60. Lori Robertson, A Public Debate Over Unnamed Sources. American Journalism Review, May 1997, p. 11.