ap-news-values-and-principles.pdf

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• must use original content, language and phrasing

• audio content always must be accurate.

• Transparency is critical to our credibility with the public and our subscribers

• off-the-record ground rules, we must adhere to a strict set of guidelines

• material is information and not opinion or speculation, and is vital to the report.

• not available except under the conditions of anonymity imposed by the source.

• reliable, and in a position to have direct knowledge of

• must get approval from their news manager before sending the story to the desk.

• manager is responsible for vetting the material and making sure it meets AP guidelines

• manager must know the identity of the source

• keep the source's identity confidential.

• If the source wants to set conditions, these should be negotiated at the start of the interview.

• the reporter should try once again to move onto the record some or all of the information that was given on a background basis.

• seeks and requires more than one source when sourcing is anonymous.

• Stories should be held while attempts are made to reach additional sources for confirmation or elaboration.

• when material comes from an authoritative figure who provides information so detailed that there is no question of its accuracy.

• explain in the story why the source requested anonymity.

• describe the source's motive for disclosing the information.

• reporter must describe how the documents were obtained, at least to the extent possible

• story also must provide attribution that establishes the source's credibility; simply quoting "a source" is not allowed.