anonymous sources as disinformation vectors
By Marc-François Bernier (Ph. D.)
Professor of Journalism at the University of Ottawa (Canada), including the author published Ethics and ethics of journalism ( Laval University Press, 2004) and has devoted his doctoral thesis at the strategic analysis of the use of anonymous sources from journalists based in the National Assembly of Quebec. (The Ghosts of Parliament, Laval University Press, 2000).
is not known if the New York Times reporter Judith Miller spent 85 days actually behind bars to protect the identity of a confidential source or, more likely, to avoid having to explain why it has allowed members of the Bush administration, under cover of anonymity, to deceive the American public to the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. One thing is certain, however, journalists who use it, if not abuse the use of anonymous sources often become vectors of misinformation.
Since the 1970s, the Watergate episode has become an archetype of journalism investigation devoted to democracy, the fight against lies and abuse of power, thanks to the almost mythical Deep Throat, whose identity was only revealed in recent months by the principal concerned.
However, sociological surveys indicate that most often the sources of information that require journalists to conceal their identity are far from having a genuine concern for the public interest and do not hesitate to lie to deceive or manipulate the public. This is true both in Paris and London, Washington and Ottawa or Quebec. So a beautiful cultural invariant!
So Peyrefitte Andre tells in his memoirs (1994) as General de Gaulle had enabled him, as Minister of Information, "distilled in small doses" his confidences. "He played with leaks that allow me to do. Were so many trial balloons. He saw then how to adjust the text to avoid too large tub. Thus he transformed into his action aids his spokesman, journalists around it, and the public through the media "(p.161). Further, he discusses his method of " leaks prior "that" does not diminish the suspense, it increases, while offering few opportunities to blunt the outrage, no, indeed, commentators, but the public, who said: "We already knew" " .
Moreover, the connivance of the British lobby journalists with elected officials has been carefully examined by three authors show how the British government has thus succeeded in deceiving public opinion. Cockerell, Hennessy and Walker (1984) compared with journalistic accounts of official documents and found that the spokesman for British prime ministers have different hidden the truth and spread lies made enjoying the anonymity. This work was conducted for three historical case studies relating to the manufacture of the atomic bomb, restrictions on immigration and the devaluation of the Pound Sterling in 1949. The authors show how the anonymous allegations were untrue in many cases.
Falklands War has also been analyzed and the authors again show how the anonymity granted to political sources, even Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, helped mislead the public about issues not put any stake national security, but rather served the interests and political supporters of the Conservative government. According to these authors, sometimes the information provided under cover of anonymity to be denied publicly in the House, by those who have provided during informal meetings with journalists (p.166).
In Quebec, our own research has shown that the speculations of journalists, who place a few days before the announcement of the formation of a new Council of Ministers and based solely on anonymous sources close to Prime Minister, that is claimed "well informed", are wrong in proportions varying between 20% and 70%. Where false information has been disseminated through the anonymity provided by journalists is not exceptional.
could lengthen the endless list of cases where anonymous sources are deliberately misleading the public through collaboration sometimes naive, sometimes complacent or complicit, journalists primarily interested in publishing an exclusive "good story" with little question as to its veracity.
dubious motivations
However, sociological surveys have identified that the motives of sources that need to enjoy anonymity are rarely altruistic. According to Stephen Hess, they seek to foam including their own achievements, to get credit from journalists hoping to return the elevator to move files by causing the release because of the reaction of public opinion, to cause harm to opponents, to test public reaction to certain policies or decisions, but, fortunately, to denounce situations unacceptable or offensive.
If anonymous sources are just as popular with journalists is that they do not have full autonomy in strategic game of public communication. Instead, faced with a hyper-media environment, probably as anxious to distinguish themselves from their peers and demonstrate competence, journalists have been pressing obligations to produce news and features that encourage them to agree to bargain on what we might call the "black market" of information. They must cooperate and deal with sources who have information, admittedly, but seek above all to meet specific objectives and not the public interest or the public's right to quality information. Journalists certainly does not want to mislead the public, but they are nevertheless often because of their eagerness to meet immediate needs in the context of transactions to which the public is often absent third party who suffers.
recent years have seen with what cynicism, but also how complicity of much of American journalism class, the Bush administration was able to induce the Americans to misunderstand the real threat that Saddam posed Hussein on the Middle East. Such a strategy of disinformation can not be possible if journalists are too quick to publish as "content" as possible, as soon as possible in order to serve their own personal reputation (which has a price far in the U.S.) while promoting their media. This is even more true and disturbing social crises or episodes of intense political activities (elections, referenda, leadership races) that amplify the scope of issues and emphasize the presence of anonymous sources with questionable motives, but who can take part a fierce competition to disseminate statements that do not meet established quality criteria in Journalism (truth, thoroughness, accuracy, fairness, integrity).
Ethical reflection is needed
Admittedly, circumstances arise where the journalist concerned to serve the public's right to quality information - that is to say, truthful and subject to the public interest rather than the search sensationalism - will depart from the Professional Conduct, which prescribes for identifying its sources of information to the public to exercise informed judgments about the skills, motivation and credibility of those who enjoy the anonymity.
Here ethical reflection is needed. It allows weigh the options available to the journalist. Ethics can then guide him to the consideration of specific criteria so that anonymity is not granted to the detriment of the public it purports to serve.
Among other considerations, it must consider whether the source really risk retaliation in the event identification, in addition to checking if it is really the only way to obtain the desired information (documents may exist or other sources that could be identified). It must also wonder if does not become an accomplice of gangland when information is individuals which will then be unable to properly defend against ghosts of the accusers, which would be contrary to the principle of fairness which is found in many texts ethics.
Only after a process of ethical deliberation that the journalist will decide whether it is justified and justifiable, in this particular case to waive the ethical rules that govern it. This reflection will also allow the public to justify to convince that he has not succumbed to the imperatives doubtful that he has simply chosen not to violate the ethics to obtain personal benefits at the expense of the public's right to quality information.
If we want to protect society against the disinformation that contrive many important social actors, especially in times of social crisis, one must consider the evidence that research has brought to light in recent decades and foster the genuine ethical journalists.
There can be no question of granting them an absolute right to protect the identity of their sources of information given the threat this poses to the public's right to information.
While it is preferable that the law and judges who interpret and give a qualified privilege not force reporters to identify their sources only in exceptional circumstances, it would be excessive and unjustified to make sure that journalists can enjoy protection of professional secrecy, as some suggest.
Besides the heavy whiff of corporatism implies that such a claim must demonstrate that it would have disastrous effects on the public's right to information. In fact, nothing more, then, could slow companies with disinformation journalists are often Involuntary vectors in the best cases, but sometimes complicit.
Moreover, ethics recognizes that the journalist who is the victim of a disinformation operation is under no obligation to protect the identity of a phantom source who voluntarily manipulated and deceived the public. It is therefore appropriate for journalists, on behalf of the public right to information, from time to time denounced the identity of those who cheated in order to advise the public to be wary of those who seek to manipulate.
Finally, he returned to the public to be very wary location sources ghosts who haunt the pages of newspapers and websites, or infiltrate the reports of radio and television. The public should know that journalists are not always able to protect against the propaganda and misinformation. Worse, sometimes reporters are not motivated to protect the public against those who would deceive ...
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