Unnamed Sources Policy

Why Named Sources Are Preferred

Named sources improve accountability and allow readers to evaluate a source's position, knowledge and potential interests.

Public attribution also helps readers distinguish direct knowledge from rumor, secondhand information or a statement made primarily to advance an interested party’s position.

When an Unnamed Source May Be Considered

Vegas Report rarely uses unnamed sources and considers them only when information is important, credible and not reasonably available another way.

• The source's identity is known to the responsible editorial team
• The source is positioned to know the information
• There is a legitimate reason for confidentiality
• The information has public or practical significance
• Material claims can be corroborated where possible

A preference not to be named is not by itself enough to justify anonymity. The editorial value of the information and the source's reason for confidentiality remain important considerations.

When We Avoid Unnamed Sources

• Unsupported personal attacks
• Rumors used primarily for speculation
• Promotional claims
• Unverified competitor attacks
• Claims intended primarily to cause unjustified reputational harm
• Unsupported medical, legal or financial claims

Anonymous sourcing should not be used to make a weak claim appear stronger or to allow a source to avoid reasonable accountability for unsupported assertions.

Editorial Approval

An editor must understand the source's identity, basis of knowledge, reason for anonymity and potential motives or conflicts.

Anonymity is not permission to make unsupported claims. The source still must be evaluated according to the relevance and reliability of the information provided.

Source Descriptions

Where possible, the article should describe why an unnamed source has relevant knowledge and why anonymity was granted without revealing identifying details that would defeat confidentiality.

Descriptions should not exaggerate the source's position, access or expertise merely to make an anonymous statement appear more authoritative.

Corroboration

Anonymous claims should be corroborated with documents, data, official statements or additional sources where reasonably possible.

Vegas Report generally avoids serious sensitive allegations based solely on one anonymous source without meaningful independent verification.

The more consequential a claim is, the more important it becomes to understand what evidence exists beyond the statement of the unnamed source.

Sensitive Claims

Additional caution applies to health, legal, financial, safety and serious reputational claims.

Anonymous sourcing in these areas should not replace authoritative documentation or other appropriate evidence when such material is reasonably available.