Reporters must not promise confidentiality to a source for any reason without the consent of the editor-in-chief.
The use of confidential sources in the Northern Star should be:
- Extremely rare
- Credible information
- Known to the reporter and editors
- Explained to readers
Extremely rare: Only in cases where the information is vital to the public interest and the information absolutely can’t be obtained on the record. No trivial information will be attributed to a confidential source. Deciding factors could be concern for physical, emotional or financial safety of the source, or improper and potentially illegal activity by public officials.
Credible information: The reporter must know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the source is telling the truth and has direct knowledge the information he/she is offering. A story should not hinge entirely on an anonymous source.
Known to the reporter and editors: The reporter and editor should have the facts and the source’s name before confidentiality is granted. The source cannot be nameless or anonymous to the reporter. You have to know exactly who it is to decide whether the information is credible. The news editor and editor in chief also must know the person’s identity, again for them to decide whether the information is credible and worth using without full attribution.
Explained to readers: The Northern Star is transparent with readers when it uses a confidential source. Consider running an editor’s note with the story, or as a sidebar, to accompany any story that uses a confidential source. The note should explain why the Star decided it was in the public’s interest for the paper to use the source. The Northern Star does not assign a fake name to the confidential source.
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