Rosemary,
Saw your blog on sources. A few thoughts to pass along.
Don't get suckered, even if the source has been good in the past. An example is what happened at the Washington Post after Hurricane Katrina. An anonymous source at the White House told a reporter that Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco didn't declare a state of emergency until after the storm. A few seconds on Google would have shown that "tip" to be false. The reporter didn't check his source, even though the information was easily verifiable. The source turned out to be Karl Rove. The reporter turned out to be a sucker.
I heard this line on "The Wire" last night: "A lie is not a side of a story. It's just a lie." Remember that when dealing with sources. Yes, everyone is entitled to tell their side of the story, but don't feel obligated to go with something just because a good source told it to you. See above example.
Get to know your sources, but don't get too attached to them. Feel free to have a beer with them, talk about their pets, kids or your pets and kids. The more familiar they are with you, the more likely they will be to share information. But, don't get blinded because you like the person.
Do not, under any circumstances, become romantically involved with a source. If you do, tell your editor and get switched to another beat or assignment.
And, here's some general reporting tips, for whatever they are worth:
Always carry extra ink (or pencil led). If you are in a competitive situation, don't count on a fellow reporter to bail you out by handing over a pen or pencil. And, you never know when your equipment will fail. Last year, I was at a house fire where 10 people died. The air temperature was about 8 degrees. My pens wouldn't write. Fortunately, there was a Kroger nearby. I bought pencils. They now reside in my car if the situation ever arises again.
Go early and stay late. If you are headed to a crime scene, scheduled event, court hearing or whatever. Arrive early and get a feel for who is there, what things look like and what is said. Introduce yourself to everyone and anyone. Don't leave until you feel you've gotten all there is to get and more. Just because the body is gone from a murder scene doesn't mean there aren't people around to talk to. You can also pick up a lot of color and details before and after something has happened.
Don't be afraid to ask the obvious. There's a story about Homer Bigart, the former New York Times reporter, who was known for going to crime scenes, seeing a body on the floor with a butcher knife in the back and asking "So, what was the cause of death?" Not asking is an assumption. And, by asking, you may elicit a good quote or information that's not quite so obvious.
That's what I can think of for now. Gotta get back to work.
Brett
Brett Barrouquere
The Associated Press
Louisville, Ky
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2 comments:
It is a good tip to not believe everything a source tells you, no matter how reliable you feel they are. But what do you do when there is no way to verify what a source is telling you is true, especially if the informationwould lead to a great story. Do you publish and hope that you are being factual or hold off on the story until you have more information?
From Brett: In the situation you described I'd hold off until more information is developed. Yes, there's pressure to be first in the news business. But, I'd rather be second and right than first and wrong. If I'd gone to Rosemary (my editor when I worked in Florida) after sending a story to print or putting it online and told her "You know, I hope that piece is correct," she might have fired me. And rightfully so. You don't ever want to be in a position of sending something to print(or online), then looking at a colleague and saying "I hope that story is right." That's not journalism, that's guesswork. The guy at the Washington Post probably figured he had a great bit of info that would lead to a great story. He got burned. It's not a great story unless you can back it up. Sources have motives, not always pure motives either. Make sure something is the best obtainable version of the truth that you can get. That said, you don't have to wait for Moses and the stone tablets as confirmation, but get some kind of confirmation that you and an editor feel comfortable with. That way, even if you aren't first with the story, you are first with the better story. That attitude may make me cautious, but it also keeps my pieces correct and builds credibility among sources and readers.
Hope that answers your question. Brett
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