"Almost Every Single Conversation I Have In Washington Is On Background."
The CIA leak investigation, after all, ignited a firestorm of criticism about anonymous sourcing – a journalistic convention that's a veritable hallmark of political reporting these days.
The first installment of "Frontline's" "News War," which was formulated to spell out the "political and legal forces challenging the mainstream news media today," was devoted almost entirely to the CIA leak investigation and its effect on reporters.
Monday's edition of the trial included a parade of reporters taking the stand. The Los Angeles Times today highlights some of what came out of their testimony.
The reporters were "aware of the stakes" of testifying in a criminal trial about the details of their conversations with confidential sources. Which is why "almost every reporter who has testified has offered a nuanced explanation seemingly aimed more at potential sources than at sitting jurors," as the Times puts it. "Several dwelt on their efforts to get a 'personal waiver' from Libby or other sources, meaning permission to violate the initial terms of the interview."
And for all the hand-wringing over whether anonymous sources are good or a bad part of the game, Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler suggested he would have a pretty hard time doing his job without them. "Almost every single conversation I have in Washington is on background," he told jurors.