anonymous sources Archives

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Anonymous sources help journalists break important stories. But they pose problems for reporters, too.

A recent spate of news stories relied on anonymous sources to report that President Donald Trump may have improperly pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate one of Trump’s political opponents.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa September 22, 2019

The New York Times published an anonymous op-ed by a senior official in the Trump administration. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

It’s OK for The New York Times to run an anonymous op-ed. But not for the author to remain anonymous.

The decision by The New York Times to publish an anonymous op-ed from a “senior official in the Trump administration” has drawn the accusation that it was a reckless departure from normal journalistic standards. Dan Kennedy, a media critic and journalism professor at Northeastern, said that the piece is controversial because the person who wrote it could’ve taken “a more principled stand” by revealing his or her identity.

by Molly Callahan September 6, 2018

Anonymous sources: friend or foe?

A leaked memo and anonymous sources have been behind breaking news involving President Trump and former FBI Director James Comey—news that has sent shockwaves through the nation this week. We asked Jonathan Kaufman, director of the School of Journalism, himself a Pulitzer Prize winner, about anonymous sources and whether or not to trust them.

by Molly Callahan May 18, 2017

anonymous sources

Anonymous sources help journalists break important stories. But they pose problems for reporters, too.

It’s OK for The New York Times to run an anonymous op-ed. But not for the author to remain anonymous.

Anonymous sources: friend or foe?

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