by Bobby Coles

Created on: July 16, 2009   Last Updated: May 07, 2012

Taking credit for things is not always the right thing to do. For journalists, sometimes their sources wish to maintain their anonymity. When a journalist cannot credit a source during publication, this can pose a problem or two.

Anonymous sources raise questions that test the integrity of the journalist. Many reporters wish to publish material that is airtight, and an anonymous source trips up this desire.

Sources are the lifeblood of the industry, the reliable place where a journalist can go to find out the truth behind a breaking news item. When these sources wish to hide behind anonymity, the credibility of the story is called into question, and the story loses its impact.

When a source does not want to be acknowledged in the press, there must be a reason, and this is why many editors will refuse to publish a story without source verification.

If the story cannot be published because of the anonymity of the source, then the journalist must rely on other measures to ensure that their story is complete and accurate. Without the source, however, the central piece of information may be missing, and this will leave the story incomplete and will not be run in the publication.

For many reasons, mainly of a litigious nature, a newspaper will not publish a story with unsubstantiated claims. If the source does have verifiable and accurate information, then it is imperative that they are named, and the story can be brought into the living rooms of the nation.

Perhaps the source is holding out for a large monetary gain, or some notoriety in another fashion. Whatever the reason is that they do not want to be named, this obviously has to be warranted from an ethical standpoint.

A major struggle for journalists is the credibility of their sources. Many journalists rely on sources for information, and when those sources wish to remain anonymous, this poses an ethical dilemma for the journalist. Without divulging the identity of a source, the reliability of the information comes into question, and its credibility is diminished.

For a story to impact upon people, information is vital. The journalist should offer the source enough reason to succumb and include their name in the piece.

Many sources love the limelight and adore having their names published, but some people wish to divulge valuable information without claiming any recognition. This can be done for a number of reasons, each different for every informant. Their privacy must be adhered to, and they have the right

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