Sources, Attribution, and Credibility

Some of the information in a news story might come from personal observation or knowledge. However, most of it will not. That's where sources come in.

For news stories to be seen as credible by the public, journalists need to reveal where the information is coming from (attribution) — and why those sources are in a position to know what they are saying (credibility).

Drawing from the building fire example, we'd want to tell our readers when the fire started and how difficult it was to extinguish. So, our story might include the fact the blaze broke out at about 5:15 p.m. and it took 90 minutes for a crew of a dozen firefighters to bring it under control. In our story, we'll attribute that information to Sally Edwards.

While our story lists Sally Edwards as the source, is she credible (or believable) for readers based only on what we've written? Who is “Sally Edwards”? Is she someone who also was watching the fire or the barista at a nearby coffee shop who always seems to know what is going on? But, if our story further identifies Sally Edwards as the captain of the fire company who also responded to the initial call, those facts about the timing and intensity of the blaze are much more credible.

So, for the public to trust our news stories, we must attribute the facts to various sources (whether people or documents) and establish their authority to provide the information.

Journalists should always strive to get a diversity of sources for news stories. Certainly, the public is diverse in terms of race, sex, age, economic standing and other factors. The same is true for the people who read, watch or listen to news stories produced by journalists.

That means when you are interviewing people for a story, you should not just talk to people who are like you. You will have a more complete and representative story if you have found a range of subjects.

Engaging in these unethical practices will impact your grade in the course. In extreme cases, it can be grounds for failing the course and even constitute a university-level academic integrity violation that carries severe penalties.