Our reporters rely upon a variety of people to talk to them each week in order to report the news of the community. The police chief, city clerk, city manager, school principals, parents, children and many others all give us information each week that helps us write news report about this community.
Our reporters are trained to ask questions about news events that people want or need to know about, and then to write a story about that news event. They are trained to listen, observe and write about that which they hear and see.
Good reporters have good manners and treat their news sources as they wish to be treated. While good manners are essential, it doesn’t mean they can’t be aggressive and stubborn when they’re trailing a tough story.
Responsible reporters seek sources that will provide them with news and establish a relationship of trust and cooperation from these sources. Reader’s benefit when reporters have good working relationships with their sources.
Sometimes sources, for a variety of reasons, ask to go “off the record,” and in most cases the interview has to stop. Without information that can be published, newspapers have nothing to give to the reader.
Reporters identify themselves as reporters at the beginning of all interviews, with the understanding that they will use information given to them in a news story. Sources cannot, at the conclusion of the interview, tell the reporter that the information was given “off the record” or not for publication. If they do, they have wasted both their time and that of the reporter.
Further more, if the “off the record” comments were not agreed to by both parties, prior to the beginning of an interview, the newspaper has every right to publish information from that interview.
Finally, the reporter can only grant “off the record” privileges in very limited circumstances. In most cases the reporter must check with his editor before granting such a request. The only time such a request should be granted is when the reporter has no other source for the information and that information provides critical background material for an important story.
“Off the record” information is often given to reporters to provide background information or provide context to news events they cover.
Participants at a public meeting of the city council or the school board cannot expect to go “off the record” since it is a public meeting and anyone, not just reporters, are present to listen to and view the proceedings. The news media also attends and reports on meetings on behalf of readers who cannot attend the meeting, but who want to know what action was taken.
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