What safeguards apply when anonymous sources are permissible?

• A. Corroborate with additional sources and disclose limits to balance transparency and protection.
• B. Do not corroborate since the source is anonymous.
• C. Publicly reveal the source identity after publication.
• D. Only rely on anonymous sources for minor details.

Answer: (A)

When anonymous sources are permissible, the safeguards center on verification and transparency. Verifying claims by corroborating with additional sources or documentary evidence helps ensure the information is accurate and not the product of a single unverified account. At the same time, it’s important to disclose the limits of transparency—what you can reveal about the source without compromising their safety or trust, and why certain details must be kept confidential. This balance protects the source, upholds readers’ right to reliable information, and maintains newsroom ethics.

Those other options miss essential protections: not corroborating undermines accuracy; publicly revealing the source’s identity after publication breaks confidentiality and endangers the source; and relying only on anonymous sources for any detail, even minor ones, risks bias and unreliability.