法新社编辑标准与最优操作手册.pdf

AFP-20 principles of sourcing.31.07.2024.Twenty principles of sourcing.With the amount of disinformation and rumours circulating online and on social networks,AFPs role of providing accurate and verified news via identified and trustworthy sources has never been more important.The following document explains the fundamentals of the Agencys rules on sourcing and how we should manage relationships with sources.These guidelines should be respected and should be applied using professional judgement,experience and common sense.The chief editors department is available 24 hours a day for advice or for a final decision.If you have any questions about these rules,feel there are omissions or come across any situations that raise new questions,please contact the chief editors department.SUMMARY 1)The source in the lead 2)Identifying the source 3)Anonymous sources 4)Artificial intelligence 5)Challenging your sources 6)Attribution 7)Secondary sources 8)Diversity in sourcing 9)Analysts 10)Quotations 11)The editing desk and sourcing 12)Uploaded/external content 13)Public domain 14)Rumours and disinformation 15)Protection of sources 16)Keeping notes and recordings 17)Relationships with sources 18)Reporting deaths 19)Conflict reporting 20)Business and financial Reporting 1)THE SOURCE IN THE LEAD The source should be given immediately in flashes,alerts,urgents and leads so clients and readers can see where AFP obtained the information.Exceptions are made for events that are clearly in the public domain(a presidential speech,a royal wedding).The source can be dropped from the intros of the main leads and wraps when the facts have been established beyond doubt or use formulations such as France announced Thursday”.The source should usually be placed at the close of the sentence(a European Commission spokesperson said.)unless opening with the source gives the story more weight(President X announced)or the information can be contested(The army said that it had captured the town of).Social networks are an integral part of news gathering,and verified accounts are an accepted source:Sports results,market reports and certain economic indicators should not be sourced.Headlines should be concisely sourced,unless the event is in the public domain and the facts are not open to dispute.2)IDENTIFYING THE SOURCE Sources should be clearly identified by name,age if relevant,title,occupation and any other factors that strengthen the credibility of the story.The same source should not be quoted twice in the same story under two different guises,i.e.identified and unidentified,which would mislead the reader into thinking that the reporter had spoken to two different people.Do not overstate a sources importance or turn a single source into multiple sources “officials said”,“official media reported”-where only one official or one media outlet is quoted.An AFP text,photo or video journalist who witnessed an event is a recognized firsthand source and adds credibility to the story:an AFP reporter/photographer/video journalist at the scene said/witnessed/reported.3)ANONYMOUS SOURCES The use of anonymous sources enables us to publish information that we would otherwise be unable to report.This is particularly the case when sources are bound to secrecy(such as for police or judicial matters)and also in publishing sensitive information in all areas of coverage including the economy,diplomacy,politics and sport.AFP is committed to protecting its sources and is aware of the risks that some people face when speaking to the media,which can justify granting anonymity.However,we must also assure our clients of the transparency and reliability of our information,and bear in mind that AFP is staking its reputation on the veracity of its information when it quotes anonymous sources.The use of anonymous sources should be the exception,not the rule,and we must explain in as much detail as possible why we cannot identify the source.We should describe the source as precisely as possible.For example,quoting an aid worker in Kabul who cannot be identified for security reasons;a negotiator who is not authorised disclose details of the discussions;a trade union official who may risk reprisals for speaking to the media.Reporters must press sources at every opportunity to go on the record and must not slip into the trap of routinely granting anonymity.Public figures,including government officials,and those around them regularly hide behind anonymity when they brief the media in order to promote their agendas.We should not allow ourselves to be manipulated like this.Sources who hide behind anonymity are unaccountable if they give us inaccurate or false information.We must ask ourselves what the possible motivation behind an insistence on anonymity is.We must work to change the culture of habitual anonymity that exists in certain areas of our reporting and must explain to our sources that identifying them is a key factor in establishing the credibility of our coverage.It is essential that we know whether the source has direct access to the information or whether it was obtained it from a third party.It is always preferable to seek at least two sources,particularly if they are anonymous.Using a single anonymous source may be the only way to report important information.This is acceptable if the source has direct access to the information and we are confident that it is true and the source is reliable In this case,the reporter must disclose the identity of the source to their service head or the editor-in-chief under a strict guarantee of confidentiality.Reporters must understand that sources are talking to AFP,and that there is not a private or personal relationship between the source and the journalist.We do not use formulations such as“reliable sources”or“informed sources”.Instead,we strive to give as clear an indication as possible of why a particular sources information is trustworthy.We should try to give an indication of their function,whom they represent,and the reasons why they cannot be identified by name(a highly placed foreign ministry official who is not authorised to talk to the media,a local militia commander who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals).If eyewitnesses request anonymity for security or other genuine reasons we should give as clear an indication as possible of who they are(said the mother of one of the victims,who requested anonymity).Eyewitness sources such as“a local person”or“a woman/man”are unacceptable.People quoted in“vox pop”stories must be identified with their full name,age,occupation,etc.The exception is when the person may be at personal risk if they are identified,but their opinion still adds value to the story.In that case,you must explain why the person requested anonymity.We do not use pseudonyms to identify sources unless it is unavoidable in order to be able to tell the story,in which case we must explain the reason.4)ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOURCING Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini provide algorithmic responses based on the vast amounts of data with which they have been trained,including material that is incomplete,erroneous,biased or covered by copyright that has not been attributed.Although they are useful tools,they should not be considered as reliable sources,and answers they produce should be checked.We can quote their responses to illustrate a story,but they should not be written about as if they have human qualities or quoted like a human source with opinions.We must also be aware that these tools have produced results that promote gender bias and other forms of stereotypes and prejudices.5)CHALLENGING YOUR SOURCES It is AFPs responsibility to ensure that the facts we report are accurate and we must challenge the facts given by our sources,regardless of their rank or position.How does the official know the death toll or the number of survivors or that the victim has died?Is it an official count or is it an estimate?Where did the official obtain the information and from whom?Is the information within their area of responsibility or expertise?If not,they might be repeating hearsay,reports from other media or social network chatter.Does the source have a motive for giving us certain information?It is not sufficient to simply reproduce what we are told,and we should always ask follow-up questions to find out how the source obtained the information.Make fact-checking and corroboration part of your routine.We cannot hide behind the excuse that“this is what the source told me,”We must seek the truth.Eyewitness accounts are an essential part of reporting,but exercise caution in quoting them as proven facts,particularly when it comes to casualty figures.We should try to talk to as many eyewitnesses as possible to build up a consistent version of events.Elections pose particular problems,and we should be very cautious when reporting statements by political candidates,who are notorious for misrepresenting official statistics or their opponents records.We can quote them but should fact-check what they have said and seek comments from their rival candidates.Even if the information given by a source or eyewitness seems compelling and true,seek out corroboration or rebuttal from other sources.The most convincing narratives can sometimes turn out to be half-true or false.6)ATTRIBUTION Unless the source says otherwise in advance,everything that they say is understood to be on the record(fully quotable and attributable)and cannot be declared off the record afterwards.However,the reporter can use his or her discretion if the source clearly misspoke or has inadvertently put himself,herself or others in jeopardy.Journalists should do their best to avoid any ground rules being established in advance(avoid asking“is this on the record?”-we are within our rights to assume that it is).If establishing ground rules is unavoidable,we should negotiate as much transparency as possible.In such cases there must be unambiguous prior agreement on the terms:the way the source is identified,whether the comments are on the record(fully quotable),off the record(not to be used),or can be used anonymously as background.A distinction should be made between public figures and other people used to speaking to the media,such as communications professionals,and private individuals.The former know that their words will be used publicly,which is not the case for an ordinary member of the public.It is our responsibility to explain to private individuals that we work for an international news agency and to make it clear that we will be quoting them.If we provide them with this information,they can give their informed consent to be quoted.However,we can use our discretion and decided not to identify them if we feel that they are not aware of the potential consequences of their comments and may be putting themselves at risk.In exceptional circumstances,for example as part of an investigative report when the person may face legal or other repercussions,we should obtain their written consent to quote them.In this case you should contact the Legal Department for advice.7)SECONDARY SOURCES When we do not have an AFP journalist present or a direct source,we can use secondary sources,in which case thorough verification of the veracity of the information is required.It is up to the bureau to judge the value of the source,and experience is a good guide.We can pick up from respected and established news agencies,television networks,newspapers,radios,news agencies,online sites or social network accounts,but should exercise extreme caution when dealing with secondary media,unknown websites or dubious or unverified social media accounts.In all cases it is our responsibility to judge the veracity and credibility of the information,particularly if the secondary source is quoting unidentified sources.Does their reporting match our standards?Does the report contain accusations that demand a right of reply?Are anonymous officials using other media to spread a particular message?Are they repeating a rumour or chatter that is being spread on social media?If we cannot get any on-the-record confirmation,we can at least put the story in context and quote our own analysts,who can evaluate the credibility of the report.Even if our agreement with a local news agency permits it,we should not present their work as our own,but clearly identify them as the source of the story.Beware of secondary media reporting on events concerning persons other than their own nationals or interests in third countries:for example,a national news agency in country A running a report on an event in country B.This kind of information should not be picked up but sent in note form to the chief editor for sending to the bureau concerned for verification.If the bureau is closed,then the chief editor decides how to proceed.If AFP quotes a secondary report,we give it credibility and it becomes our story,and if it is erroneous we cannot shelter behind the excuse that we were only repeating what was being said.We must say if we picked up a story from an online edition,whose content may vary from the printed or broadcast version.We must always clearly identify the source,e.g.,according to a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman quoted by Xinhua.If we pick up quotes from a television broadcast,we describe the event(told reporters in a televised news conference;told waiting journalists outside parliament)If we pick up an exclusive television interview,we source it as such(Prime Minister X said in an interview on Al Jazeera TV.)With the chief editors permission,bureaux can pick up unreported material relevant to their own territories posted online from elsewhere(e.g.Delhi picking up a statement from the State Department website).In this case the other bureau must be informed.We must say if an image or footage was provided as a handout and identify who provided it.We do not plagiarise-all content picked up from a third party must be credited We must clearly identify Pool material.Under fair usage,and with attribution,we can usually quote from books,magazines,interviews and other original material within reason.If you are in doubt,consult the chief editors department.8)DIVERSITY OF SOURCES We must strive to have a representative balance in our sourcing that reflects the gender,racial,ethnic and religious diversity of the societies we cover.Numerous studies have shown that the voices quoted in the media are overwhelmingly male,with women accounting for around 25 percent of people quoted.We must strive to correct this imbalance.We should also guard against stereotypes based on the persons identity,such as only interviewing trans people about LGBTQ rights issues,or only interviewing women about issues affecting women.9)ANALYSTS Analysts are vital to any reporters list of sources and are used both to provide perspective and insight to news reports and for stand-alone analysis pieces.Analysts should be clearly identified,a