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I once was involved in a journalistic/fact-finding endeavor involving myriad confidential exchanges of information. One of the biggest lessons from the experie
by ISL 8y ago
I once was involved in a journalistic/fact-finding endeavor involving myriad confidential exchanges of information.
One of the biggest lessons from the experience has been that a promise of confidentiality should be extended only when absolutely necessary. In aggregate, it would have been better to have a smaller amount of information that could be made public than a comprehensive set of information that remains restricted, perhaps forever.
If I need to do such a thing again, I will make plain to each source, in writing when possible, that, while I am attempting to get to the truth and will treat their information with care, I may publish anything I learn, full stop.
- erikpukinskis 8y agoSounds miserable, knowing the truth in detail and feeling forced to write half truths.
- ACow_Adonis 8y agoIsn't that basically the job description for most of us in economics/analytics/information/writing/consulting fields? /haha, only serious.
- chrisseaton 8y ago> If I need to do such a thing again, I will make plain to each source, in writing when possible, that, while I am attempting to get to the truth and will treat their information with care, I may publish anything I learn, full stop. I think the point you are missing is that people won't talk to journalists at all in the first place if they're on the record. You can put your foot down all you like and say 'it's all on the record' but then they'll just say 'ha ha ok no comment then' and you'll learn nothing.
- ISL 8y agoAgreed entirely; it seems like a bad idea, but the flip side is that anything they do feel comfortable sharing with you can be readily shared with others. That second fact, coupled with the reality that many people like to tell their own stories, at least in part, is more powerful than anything learned through anonymity. Viewed another way, if the goal is to get to the truth and share it, it is useless to learn an unshareable truth.