Unnamed Sources Policy

NewsFormal briefs are built on published reporting, so we rarely rely on anonymous sources of our own. When we do, or when the reporting we summarise does, these rules apply.

General Principles

Accuracy, transparency and reliability come first. We prefer named, on-the-record sources and documents. Anonymity is granted only when the information is important, cannot be obtained another way, and the source has a legitimate reason to fear harm, retaliation or legal exposure.

Conditions for Use

• We verify the information with other sources or documents before publishing it.
• We ask why the source wants anonymity and judge whether that reason is credible.
• We describe the source as specifically as safety allows, for example "a person familiar with the negotiations" rather than simply "sources".
• We do not grant anonymity for personal attacks or for speculation about share prices.

Anonymous Sources in the Reporting We Summarise

Much market and corporate news originates with unnamed sources in other publications. When a NewsFormal brief relays such reporting we attribute it to the publisher that carried it, keep the publisher's own description of the source, and link the original so readers can weigh it themselves. Reporting based solely on anonymous sourcing is treated with extra caution in our risk and opportunity assessments.

Protection of Sources

If we promise a source anonymity, we keep it. The identity is known only to the editor handling the story and is not shared with third parties.

Feedback

If you believe a brief leans on anonymous sourcing without adequate support, tell us at [email protected].

Continuous Review

This policy is reviewed regularly against industry best practice.