When a statement is off the record this means?

Going off the record — or on background — represents an agreement between you as a source and a reporter that what you say will not be quoted in a news story. If the reporter doesn’t agree, you’re still on the record.

What’s the difference between on background and off the record?

On the record: The information can be used with no caveats, quoting the source by name. 2. Off the record: The information cannot be used for publication. Background: The information can be published but only under conditions negotiated with the source.

What is on background in journalism?

According to the Associated Press, an on background arrangement with a reporter means that “information can be published but only under conditions negotiated with the source. Generally, the sources do not want their names published but will agree to a description of their position.”

What is deep background in journalism?

Lee: “Deep background” is a term commonly used by officials at the highest levels of government who want to disclose information to the press without attribution. Such material can be published, provided there is no identification of the source or how the material was obtained.

When a reporter asks a source to speak on the record that means?

“On-the-record” attribution means that everything the source says may be published and quoted directly, and the source may be fully identified by name and title. Reporters should try to keep as much as possible of every interview on the record.

What does off the record mean in journalism?

Off the record: Ideally, terms are established at the start. And since nothing from the conversation can be used for publication, journalists are, ideally, cleareyed about the consequences of this arrangement, if they agree to it at all: Sources will have their own agendas, trying to shape future coverage to their liking.

Is it ever OK to go off the record?

So no one should go off-the-record unless they actually trust the journalist concerned. It is important to remember that whilst journalists are guided by their code of ethics this is not legally enforceable and isn’t strongly policed. And there is one important override.

Is an on-the-record comment off the record?

Politicians who insisted an on-the-record comment was actually off the record. (It was not.) Politicians who acknowledged that, yes, they’d said the thing they said, but what if we pretended they hadn’t? (Not how this works.)

What are some examples of off-the-record quotations?

For example, Ronald Reagan’s famous “we begin bombing in five minutes” quip was a case of the media breaching an off-the-record confidence for the greater public good. Always assume, if you are near a journalist, camera or microphone, that you are on-the-record and if you don’t want to see it, hear it or read it, then don’t say it.