A piece of journalism is only as good as the information it draws from. In this session, learn the importance of sourcing and see where others failed. Also, find out how to get the most reluctant sources on the record and know where to turn when all else fails.

1. Getting reluctant sources
on the record

2. The importance
of sources
 Stories are only as good as the
information they contain
 The public — more than ever —
deserves to know the origin of
information
 A story is more likely to stand up to
criticism — claims of fake news, for
example — if it has solid sourcing

3. Example

4. Example

5. Whatdoes
SPJ’sCode
ofEthics
say?
Journalists should…
 be cautious when making promises, but keep the
promises they make.
 identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to
as much information as possible to judge the
reliability and motivations of sources.
 consider sources’ motives before promising
anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who
may face danger, retribution or other harm, and
have information that cannot be obtained
elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.
 diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow
them to respond to criticism or allegations of
wrongdoing.

6. InitialSteps
 One of the most important steps in
approaching sources is to simply ask if
they will talk
 People deserve a chance to simply answer
your questions
 Asking people to answer question upfront
can protect you and your news
organization from accusations of
unfairness
 You must give people an acceptable
amount of time to answer your questions

7. What next?

8. Evaluateyour
approach
 Each approach to dealing with
a reluctant source should be
unique
 Some relevant factors:
 Where does the person fit into
your story?
 Witness
 Victim
 Perpetrator
 Knowledgeable person
 How did the person respond to
your initial ask?
 Why won’t they talk to you?

9. Step 1
Ask the source why he or
she won’t talk to you

10. Step 1
Ask the source why he or
she won’t talk to you
The person’s concern may
be relatively simple to
address

11. Step 2
Ask the source if they
know what you want to
know

12. Step 3
 Approach the person with
genuine care and interest in
their information
 Ask the person to meet — for
coffee, perhaps — and
emphasize there is no
expectation that they share
their story
 Explain why you want to hear their
story
 Explain what you know to show
you’re serious about the story
 Consider trading information
for what the source knows

13. Step 4
 Ask the person if the
information lives somewhere
else
 Public documents
 Other people
 Ask for a more generalized
version of their information
 Consider what concessions
you’re willing to make to
retrieve the information
 Anonymity?
 Off-the-record source
 Background information
* BE SPECIFIC IN
AGREEMENTS

14. Additional
Helpful
Steps
 Check the background of sources
 Look for common ground and other
shared interests
 See if friends on social media may be
potential sources
 Leave the source with some
information at each meeting to gain
trust

15. Another Avenue
• * Ideal for larger investigations and
mostly reserved for sources accused
of wrongdoing

17. Subject

18. Subject
Ex-Partner
Old
Roommate
Ex-Coworker

19. Subject
Ex-Partner
Old
Roommate
Neighbor
Employer
Ex-Coworker
Sibling

20. Subject
Ex-Partner
Old
Roommate
Neighbor
Employer
Ex-Coworker
Partne
r
Sibling

21. If you speak to
enough people
surrounding the
subject or source,
they may agree to
speak with you to
get their truth out.

22. Take-home
Points
 Ask the source if they’ll talk to you
 Ask why they won’t talk to you
 Ask if they know what you want to know
 Give people enough time to respond to questions
 Evaluate your possible paths
 Show genuine care and interest
 Explain what you know
 Consider trading information
 Ask for generalized information
 Find out where else the information lives
 Consider concessions
 Ask yourself if the source is the right source
 Be specific when making anonymity agreements

23. Questions?
 Lynn Walsh
 @lwalsh
 Andrew M. Seaman
 @andrewmseaman