The "Newsweek" problem

Although I'm not convinced Newsweek was in error, despite their retraction, the problem of anonymous sources -- a longstanding problem at U.S. major media outlets -- has finally caused them some serious headaches.

To reiterate, Latin Trade policy is:

Sources should be balanced

Talk to participants (executives, suppliers, customers, partners, regulators, investors) not observers (academics, pols, analysts, professional commentators of any type). If your story is going to raise a certain point-a company has been hurt by a competitor, some member of the board is a loose cannon-we have to get them on the record or take such pains to do so we can legitimately say, "Sr. Fulano declined to comment." I have no problem saying you're ugly as I long as I say you're ugly to your face. We do not publish off-the-record interviews except in extreme circumstances (life in danger); we do not publish charges without offering the company or individual space in the same story to respond. We have these policies for the same reason the parks service does not want you to feed bears: They'll come to expect it, and then we have trouble. It's tough, but that's journalism.

Information gathered at press conferences should be identified so, as in "Slim told reporters Tuesday...." Likewise, one-on-one or exclusive interviews with big fish get played up big, too, as in "In an exclusive interview with Latin Trade, Slim said...."

Always rely on primary source material. Information cribbed from local media is verboten (errors, slant, false reporting and outright propaganda is the risk) and reusing wire stories is also verboten (usually, the problem here is errors). Find out. Call the company. Get the press release. Read the financial filings. Be a reporter. Parrots I do not need.

More on the unintended consequences of change and although I've never thought much of Al Neuharth (USA Today founder), here's right about this.