Telegraph Middle East protects confidential sources where confidentiality is justified, has been agreed and is necessary to report information in the public interest.
Use of anonymous sources
Anonymous sourcing should be used carefully. Editors should know the source’s identity and assess the source’s access, reliability, motive and reason for requesting confidentiality.
Verification
Confidential information should be corroborated where practical. Anonymous claims should not be used merely to avoid accountability or to publish speculation that cannot be tested.
Limits
No publication can guarantee protection against every legal, technical or physical risk. Sources should avoid sending highly sensitive information through ordinary email without first requesting an appropriate communication method.
Identification
The publication should not disclose a confidential source’s identity without consent unless required by law or necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat, and only after appropriate editorial and legal consideration.