News reports that do not name sources are looked upon with suspicion. You are never sure about their factual accuracy.
Proper attribution also adds depth to your writing. You are able to recreate events in the eyes of the readers when you quote eyewitnesses.
So, how do you quote sources? And when should you avoid naming your news sources? Here are four simple rules that you can follow to identify news sources:
1. Name Individuals
An individual, who witnessed an accident or survived an earthquake, should be quoted by name as an eyewitness. However, there may be incidents, especially crime-related, when a news source would like to hide his identity. Respect this. Don’t name such sources.
2. Name Organisations
A spokesperson authorised by an organisation to brief the media on its behalf. The spokesman can be referred to by:
a. Name and designation
Thus, Mr N.Guruswamy, Police Commissioner, told the media…
b. Designation
Thus, The Police Commissioner told the media …
3. Avoid names
There are occasions when a news source, who happens to be a senior government official or an important leader, does not want his or her name to be used.
In such cases, the reporter can attribute the story to informed sources or well connected sources or official sources or sources who don’t wish to be named. However, the reporter must know the source well, and should trust that the information provided is correct.
4. Exceptions
The reporter need not worry about attribution in those cases that he has witnessed. For instance, the reporter can report a cricket match or a rally stating what happened. This is because these are statements of fact that have occurred in public domain, and have been witnessed by scores of people. The same applies to the swearing in of a new government or historical facts.