Washington Post Policy on Sources

Off the record: This is the trickiest of all, because so many people misuse the term. By our definition, off-the-record information cannot be used, either in the paper or in further reporting. But many sources, including some sophisticated officials, use the term when they really mean "not for attribution to me." We must be very careful when dealing with sources who say they want to be "off the record." If they mean "not for attribution to me," we need to explain the difference, and discuss what the attribution in the paper will actually be. If they really mean off the record as we define the term, then in most circumstances, we should avoid listening to such information at all. We do not want to be hamstrung by a source who tells us something that becomes unusable because it is provided on an off-the-record basis.

One alternative to off-the-record is "for guidance." A source may be willing to give us information for our guidance or to prompt further reporting, on the understanding that we will not use his comments as the basis for putting something in the paper. This, for example, was the relationship between Deep Throat and Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Such guidance can be useful even if we can't print it at once.

We do not allow sources to change the ground rules governing specific quotations after the fact. Once a quote is on-the-record, it remains there.

Sometimes sources will agree to be interviewed only if we promise to read quotations we plan to use back to the source before they are published. This can create difficult situations. We do not want to allow sources to change what was said in the original interview, but sometimes that cannot be avoided, or can be avoided only at the cost of losing an on-the-record quote from an important source. If you find yourself in this gray area, consult with your editor.

Some reporters have read stories back to sources before publication to insure accuracy on technical points or to try to catch any errors before they appear in the paper. For a science writer to read a story, or passage, about a complex subject to a source to make sure it is accurate is a routine occurrence. But it is not our policy to routinely read stories or parts of stories to sources or to share copy with outsiders before it has been fully edited by us. A reporter who isn't sure whether to read something to a source before publication should consult first with his or her editor.

Expert Sources

We quote a lot of people in The Post. We're always interviewing men, women and children on the street, and we seem to depend ever more on "experts" to provide context for stories, make interpretive points or offer judgments about subjects we are covering. This is a healthy trend. But it is important to think about who we are quoting, either for citizen reaction or for expert guidance.

We must strive always to get a rich variety of voices into the paper. This means avoiding dependence on the same academics or public figures for reactions to stories. We all must look for new specialists---especially women, younger people, people of color, unconventional thinkers and people who aren't routinely quoted by us and other media outlets, but who constitute a large part of our readership, and of the general population. This won't happen unless we make an effort. Reporters need to fatten their Rolodexes with the names of new sources. There are female, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, native American, gay and many other kinds of business people, academics, politicians, performers, artists and so on whom we should talk to regularly and quote in our stories.

Similarly, we need to remember to talk to a broad range of individuals who are affected by the events we cover. When we write about a new school board policy, we should talk to students, teachers and parents about its impact. When we cover a company's sale or move, we should hear from affected employees. The voices of ordinary citizens of all ages should be a regular part of our journalism---more than they have been in the past.