4 ms·

That might seem like an indictment of Brian's ethics, but I'd argue that having criminals as sources is an unfortunate inevitability if you're going to have up-

• jibe 4y ago
  It is fine to use criminal sources, but in this case the criminal was a primary party with a self interest. If you can’t disclose that and still wrote the story, it is a warning that you either need additional sources, or don’t publish.
• nibbleshifter 4y ago
  There is nothing inherently wrong with using criminals (or other unreliable sources) as sources, most journalists in the space do so. The issue arises when you report on it without clearly disclaiming/disclosing that its a single, unreliable source and that you have been unable to externally verify the facts. Mistakes happen, and that's fine. But in recent years Brian has been getting a bit slipshod in his verification and disclosure practices, most likely due to competition in the space and the need to publish fast.