Unnamed sources policy

At THESTANDARD.africa alias WEST STANDARD MORNING STANDARD, we recognize the value of using anonymous sources in our reporting, but we also recognize the importance of maintaining the credibility and trust of our audience. We believe that the use of unnamed sources should be limited and carefully considered. To that end, we have established the following unnamed sources policy:

Justification: We only use unnamed sources when there is no other way to obtain the information, and when the information is of significant public interest. We do not use unnamed sources to add color or detail to a story or to provide an opinion.

Verification: THESTANDARD.africa alias WEST STANDARD MORNING STANDARD verify the information provided by unnamed sources through independent sources whenever possible. We also ensure that the information is reliable and accurate before using it in our reporting.

Attribution: We provide as much information as possible about the source’s background, position, and motivation for providing the information. We also explain why the source chose to remain anonymous and the steps we took to verify the information.

Limited Use: THESTANDARD.africa alias WEST STANDARD MORNING STANDARD limit the use of unnamed sources in our reporting and strive to provide as much information as possible on the record. We also balance the use of unnamed sources with on-the-record sources to provide context and balance to our reporting.

Editorial Review: We subject our use of unnamed sources to editorial review to ensure that we are adhering to our policies and practices. We also conduct internal reviews of our use of unnamed sources to identify and prevent misuse.

Our commitment to responsible journalism is an ongoing process, and we will continue to evaluate and improve our policies and practices to ensure that we maintain the highest standards of integrity in our reporting.

For corrections or update requests, please contact news(at)thestandard.africa.