Washington Post Policy on Sources

Obviously, it is important to share with readers any direct interest our sources may have in the story we are writing. When sources have axes to grind, we should let our readers know what their interest is. Smart sources, particularly in government and increasingly in business, know how to tempt reporters with juicy stories. Smart reporters and editors know how to avoid letting them spin us for their own purposes.

Attribution must be truthful. If a story refers to sources (plural), we must have multiple sources. If the story says someone declined to comment, that must be the truth. We cannot offer to protect sources by writing inaccurately that they refused to talk to us. This is not always easy; clever sources sometimes try to pressure us to write things that are untrue or misleading in order to protect their identity. We must resist their efforts.

Sometimes we may have to avoid any reference to a source who has helped us but refuses to be identified. Sometimes we may be able to find a formulation that protects the source, but to fulfill our obligations to readers, the attribution must be true. Situations of this kind should be discussed between reporters and editors before anything is put in the paper. As a general rule, any reporter who feels she or he is at risk of misleading the reader about the sources of information in a story has an obligation to discuss this with his/her editor.

Dealing With Sources

We strive to treat sources fairly. This means putting statements we quote into context, and summarizing the arguments of people we quote in ways that are recognizably fair and accurate. Potentially controversial statements by public figures and others should be quoted in a complete sentence or paragraph when possible, and in context. In some cases this will mean making clear what question was being answered when the statement was made.

When seeking comment from persons who are the subject of a story, we should give them a reasonable opportunity to respond to us. This means not calling at the last minute before deadline if we have any choice about timing.

We do not promise sources that we will refrain from additional reporting or efforts to verify the information they may give us.

We should not publish ad hominem quotations from unnamed sources. Sources who want to take a shot at someone in our columns should do so in their own names.

We should avoid blind quotations whose only purpose is to add color to a story.

We do not use pseudonyms, and we do not mislead our readers about the identities of people who appear in our stories. In the rare situations when we decide to identify someone by other than their full name, we do so in a straightforward mannerby using a first name only, for example. Editors must participate in decisions to provide less than a full name, and we must explain to readers why we are not using full names.

We do not fool or mislead sources. When identifying ourselves, we say we are reporters for The Post. Our reporting should be honorable; we should be prepared to explain publicly anything we do to get a story.

Attribution

We must be truthful about the source of our information. Facts and quotations in a story that were not produced by our own reporting must be attributed. Readers should be able to distinguish between what the reporter saw and what the reporter obtained from other sources such as wire services, pool reporters, e-mail, websites, etc.

We place a premium value on original reporting. We expect Washington Post reporters to see as much as they can of the story they are reporting, and to talk to as many participants as possible. Reporters should consider the advantages of reporting from the scene of events they are covering whenever that is possible.