Who said that? ’s approach to anonymous sources

How are the Trump administration’s layoffs affecting federal agencies? What impact did the U.S. bombing of Iran have on its nuclear facilities? What is it like to be a Ukrainian soldier fighting in the war with Russia?

But sometimes people with vital information are afraid they risk being fired from their jobs or being jailed for speaking to a reporter. In other cases, someone might want to share details of a traumatic or sensitive experience they had — a sexual assault or a difficult medical procedure — but want to avoid the stigma that being publicly identified could bring.

• Is the source’s information or perspective important for the public to know? And is this source the only way for the reporter to get it?

• Is the source credible and reliable? Are they who they say they are, and are they in a position to know what they say they know?

• Do they face consequences that could negatively affect their life or their livelihood?

Only if the request meets the criteria above is anonymity granted.