Clap, Clap! I O Clap, Clap! I O Clap Clap! And Biblio was his Name-O!

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How exciting; more questions. Please note sarcasm

Synthesizer of Current Best Thinking on a Problem

1. What is the current thinking of journalists on the topic of anonymous sources being used in the media?
2. According to politicians and government officials, why are anonymous sources needed and how do they help to 'protect'?

Reviewer of a Controversy
1. What are the current arguments for and against the use of anonymous sources in media? Why do they matter?

Analytical Thinker Positioned in a Critical Conversation
1. What would be the effect removing anonymous sources from the newspaper and media in terms of the people in general?

What I have learned so far

So far, I've learned that many people find anonymous sources harmful in the sense that they often rile up trouble and that many don't even exist or can't be traced. Also, many anonymous sources don't actually help in cases and take up valuable time and resources as people follow leads that might not go anywhere. And businessmen often hide behind the term when making comments about competition businesses to avoid getting in trouble or called on an inappropiate comment.

It is also agreed upon by several reporters that the use of anonymous sources decreases the value of a newspaper: it's much more believable and trustworthy if there is a name involved that can be contacted on the basis of the statement.


Overall, I'm still focusing my paper on how anonymous sources are often hurtful to others. Some more things I'd like to find are other cases where the use of anonymous sources harmed someone (Valerie Plame, flushing the Koran, etc.) and more opinions on why anon. sources are bad.

Valid Links

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=106&sid=64449a61-b073-47f9-870b-6e633205a15b%40sessionmgr107 -- Published in a scholarly journal in the year 2006.

http://www.asne.org/index.cfm?id=6292 -- Published recently (2006) and is of a .org source with the name of the reporter.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bradlee/transcript_sources.html -- Published in 2006 and is of a .org source - is an interview that was broadcasted on pbs

http://www.louise.house.gov/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=871 -- Published less than 2 weeks ago (very recent) and is from a government website.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060117-3.html -- government source from the white house (office of press secratary). Recent (2006).

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3042

http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=3946


Database Articles:

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17692063&site=ehost-live

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17525976&site=ehost-live

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17436028&site=ehost-live

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=17115370&site=ehost-live

********** http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=11200502&site=ehost-live

http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9306110131&site=ehost-live


Psych Links:
http://proxy.elmhurst.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=20943258&site=ehost-live

Searches

Sources:
--Primary: interview Dr. Ron (journalism), pass out surveys to the Leader staff (newspaper).
--Secondary: Online article databases (EBSCO), articles by editors and journalists

Search Terms:
-- anonymous sources, anonomity, Valerie Plame case, Watergate, unknown sources

Topic Love xD

Purpose: To illustrate how anonymous sources can impact the mass media ( listed by: journalists, reporters, announcers, etc.) in a harmful way.

Audience: Journalism, communication, and English majors at the college.
Secondary audience: Journalists, editors, mass media reporters

Refining my Topic

Question 1: Would not allowing people to hide behind 'anonymous' prevent the use of opinions from people who fear being persecuted against because of their view? (political)

Question 2: Does the role of anonymous speakers contribute to a wider opinion of America's culture that would otherwise not speak? (sociology)

Question 3: Why do so many people hide behind a preset title rather than allowing their own voice to be heard? (psychology)