anonymous source
Confidential news provider
An anonymous source is someone who provides information to journalists or investigators on condition that their identity not be revealed.
The practice allows insiders to share sensitive information without professional or personal consequences: The reporter's anonymous source was a senior official in the administration.
Critics argue anonymous sources enable unverifiable claims; defenders say they're essential for exposing wrongdoing that would otherwise stay hidden.
- leakEscape through a breach
- whistleblowerInsider who reports misconduct
- confidentialMeant to stay secret
- tipsterOne who shares predictions
- insiderOne with confidential access
deep throat · off-the-record · journalist · informant · unnamed · secret · background · scoop · classified · national security · redacted · undisclosed · shadowy · smoking gun · expose · investigation · newsroom · protected
- journalismreporters, interview, editors, student editors, school paper
- pressnewspaper, press laws, free press, newsroom, press cards
- tabloidsNational Enquirer, TMZ, Daily Mail, People, Globe
- mysterious figuresenigma, phantom, shadowy figure, mysterious stranger, mystery man
- media ethicsjournalism ethics, media ethics, media bias, journalistic ethics, journalistic integrity
- informationdata, facts, details, knowledge, intel
anonymous sourcepress secretary
Official media liaison
authorized representative · press release · formal announcement
anonymous, anonymously, anonymity, anonym, source, sources, sourced, sourcing