In Advocacy Assembly`s latest course on interviews for investigative journalists, we break it down for you and give you a glimpse of when it`s good to leave the file, the record, and the background. “Context,” which is sometimes referred to as “unattributed,” means that the journalist can cite the source directly, but cannot attribute statements by name to the source. The journalist can describe the source by his position. Patrick E. Tyler of The New York Times used background sources for an article that exposed U.S. military aid to Iraq during its war with Iran. Tyler reported that the U.S. secretly provided Iraq with intelligence and battle plans, even though U.S. officials knew Saddam Hussein was using chemical weapons against Iranian troops and civilian rebels in Iraq. Much of Tyler`s story has been attributed to “senior army officers with direct knowledge of the program” or “former Defense Intelligence Agency officers” who were only willing to speak on the condition that they were not identified. About “context,” Patel writes, “this means that you can talk to us and we will not specifically identify you, but rather use a description such as “company spokesperson.” Experienced journalists and sources have developed an abbreviation to describe how well the identity of the source can be revealed and how much of what the source says can be made public. This abbreviated system recognizes four levels of assignment: on the disk, on the background, on the deep background, and outside the folder.
Patel then clarified the definitions of “on file” and “background.” Columns: Was Scooter Libby prosecuted for leaking Valerie Plame`s affiliation with the CIA? Lee: No. Fitzgerald faced difficult tasks to prove that Libby knew Plame was an undercover agent and that Plame`s work at the CIA met the legal definition of an undercover agent. Libby was prosecuted for lying to the grand jury about her conversations with reporters. Libby is the first person in our nation`s history to be convicted of lying about confidential conversations with journalists. Libby`s trial and conviction hit Washington like a bombshell. Columns: Why the title “Deep Background”? Lee: “Deep background” is a term often used by officials at the highest levels of government who want to leak information to the press without attribution. This material may be published provided that the source or manner in which it was obtained is not indicated. Other terms commonly used between journalists and their sources are “for the record”, meaning that the material can be used in a direct quote and the source can be identified; “Context” material can be used in a quote, as long as the source is not named, but by terms such as “senior White House official.” Documents that cannot be published are called “off the record”. To avoid confusion and trouble, sources and journalists should assume that everything is recorded unless there is communication between the two.
And to further avoid confusion and problems, yes, all agreements on “on the record” and “on the merits” should be made before the source says anything. Patel writes, “From now on, the default setting for communications professionals and people speaking to The Verge in an official capacity will be `on the record.` We will always comply with certain requests to be in the background, but at our discretion and only for specific reasons that we can communicate to readers. “4. Deep context: Information can be used, but without attribution. The source does not want to be identified in any way, even on condition of anonymity. Splitting: How often do leaks occur? Lee: Federal employees with access to classified information receive extensive training on the protection of that information and the penalties for unauthorized disclosure. Nevertheless, classified information is so regular that it is often described as a common method of communication through government. Chronicles: But don`t most leaks have good intentions? Lee: The image of the leaker as a brave soul exposing corruption — an image deeply rooted in our pop culture and vividly exemplified by Watergate`s “Deep Throat” — is incomplete and misleading. Leaks have a variety of motives and not all of them are good; As federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald argued before the Libby jury, the flight can be a form of retaliation for government critics. When journalists use basic information, they try to describe the source as fully as possible. To say that the information comes from a “government employee” does not make sense.
The statement that the source is “a staff member of the House Appropriations Committee” gives readers more information. Sources often try to keep the identification as vague as possible; Journalists try to make it as accurate as possible. Because of this tradition, journalists were surprised to learn of a deal that Judith Miller, then a reporter for the New York Times, had made with I. Lewis Libby, chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Libby provided Miller with classified information that he hoped would refute claims that the Bush administration had inflated the threat that Saddam Hussein`s Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Libby said the information could only be used in the background. Miller said she would identify him as a “high-level administrative source,” but Libby insisted he be identified as a “former Hill employee.” That was technically correct; He had served in Congress in the late 1990s. Nevertheless, the identification required by Libby would be misleading. Miller agreed to Libby`s request, but later said she planned to renegotiate the award. Miller never wrote about what Libby told him, and the story of his deal was revealed in the federal grand jury investigation into leaking the identity of a CIA agent. “About the background” can be particularly challenging, prompting The Verge to change its policy regarding “background” reporting.
Editor-in-chief Nilay Patel wrote about it in an article published Wednesday on The Verge`s website. “On a deep background” is a variation of the background. This level of attribution is sometimes referred to as the Lindley Rule, named after Ernest K. Lindley, a Newsweek columnist who used it during the Harry Truman administration to persuade U.S. leaders to discuss military and diplomatic matters. A source on a deep background cannot be cited directly and cannot be identified in any way. A journalist must publish the information without attribution or with a sentence such as “We learned this”. If journalists do not have a high level of confidence in the source and in the information and approval of their superiors, they should stay away from information given on a deep background.
Patel went on to essentially say that companies simply can`t start an email with “in the background” or “off the record” or “not for attribution” and automatically assume that anything that comes after it won`t be used or specifically sourced. Patel stresses that terms must be agreed upon before information is shared. In a conversation Wednesday at the Paley International Council summit with NBC Nightly News host Lester Holt, NBCUniversal News Group president Cesar Conde said, “Most likely, we saw the news that came out (Tuesday) about Brian Williams, and you know, we love Brian, and we`re very grateful for all the incredible contributions. which he has done over the past few decades, and we wish him very, very well in this next chapter. But during these natural transitions, we have incredible opportunities that have opened up for the exceptionally deep bank of journalists that we have at News Group. “Off the record” is the last level of attribution. This usually means that information from a source cannot be used, but this is often misunderstood. Some people say they are talking behind closed doors, when they really mean they are talking about the context. In addition, journalists and sources sometimes disagree on what exactly “off the record” means. The State Department`s Office of Press Relations said journalists are not allowed to use unofficial information in any way. However, journalists sometimes use unofficial information to lead to other sources.
Almost all secrets are known to several people, sometimes hundreds of people. Once journalists know what they`re looking for, they can usually find public documents or sources that can review the information in the file or in the background. Some journalists refuse to listen to unofficial statements. If you can`t publish or disseminate the information, why listen to it? Others see it as an opportunity to better understand official thinking.