JOURNALISTS AND SOURCE-GREASERS

November 30, 2006 · Journalism

JOURNALISTS AND SOURCE-GREASERS. I had not seen in discussions of journalistic ethics any acknowledgment of the conflict of interest inherent in the use of anonymous sources. It certainly does not seem to be a major worry for journalists. But the leaker may leak selectively. Worse, the quid pro quo for the leak is often that the story will be spun to favor the leaker. The reader has no way of knowing that the story has been slanted and cannot evaluate the sources of the story. The leak is also building up favors in the journalist’s favor bank. Now I see in Mickey Kaus’s blog Kausfiles a name for a story which is slanted toward an anonymous source. It’s a “source-greaser.” I don’t know whether this is a term of art for journalists or if Kaus coined the phrase. Either way, more power to him.

5 comments

Lee November 30, 2006 at 1:58 AM

I thought astroturfing was the cleverest term ever when I first heard it.

Nick November 30, 2006 at 3:07 AM

The amount of flaws with journalism today is beyond count. Truly nauseating how such an important field can suck so completely without criticism.

Pater Familias » JOURNALISTS AND SOURCE GREASERS (REVISITED). October 28, 2007 at 10:40 AM

[...] AND SOURCE GREASERS (REVISITED). Almost a year ago, I posted here about some of the problems that arise when journalists rely on anonymous sources. Not only does the [...]

“BEAT-SWEETENER PIECES.” | Pater Familias November 12, 2008 at 11:02 AM

[...] PIECES.” Almost two years ago, I posted on Mickey Kaus’s use of the term “source-greaser” for an article that is slanted [...]

MICHAEL KINSLEY ON SOURCE GREASERS. | Pater Familias July 16, 2009 at 12:03 PM

[...] KINSLEY ON SOURCE GREASERS. I posted here on my discovery on the blog Kausfiles of a name for a story which is slanted toward an anonymous [...]