Reporter-source confidentiality still viable

While legal skirmishes over confidential sources are of concern to journalists, businesspeople should not be overly concerned when a reporter calls for information, two Cincinnati lawyers say in an article in the Business Courier.

"First, the events that sent [Judith ]Miller to jail are the result of a narrow set of circumstances that rarely occur. ... Second, the vast majority of interactions between sources and reporters do not involve a source who has committed a crime. ... Third, sources who want to keep their identities secret should be clear about their expectations to a journalist. ... Finally, the relationship between a reporter and a source is ultimately one of trust, built on the common goal of providing information to the public."