Dear Ms. Kelly
I have just read your column in Monday’s Punch.
Journalists commonly do not reveal sources. To suggest the Tribune and the Institute have some nefarious purpose in protecting their sources is absurd.
Are you by chance keeping a running tally of all the media’s use of “anonymous sources”. Otherwise how would you know who is using more or less than the other guys?? Are there winners and losers here – in your little black book?
Now, my question for you is – Who would you designate to monitor this “guilty practice”? How many should we be allowed in a month? What is the optimum number here? Five per month? Ten – Twenty – or what? Someone has to decide. Is it going to be you? Or the government? Should there be punishment for the “most egregious user” – even for the second most egregious user – or what???
What punishment would you recommend? Revoking a license? Imposing a fine? or What?
You suggest a possibility that the Institute is “making the whole thing up or allowing vested interests to twist the facts”, an accusation that has no basis in fact, and you spill this out without any effort to confirm your suspicions. Of course you are free to do that – and guess what, we aren’t even monitoring you.
This is not just bad journalism – it is irresponsible and harmful speculation.
You just made it all up!!!
Joan Thompson
President, The Nassau Institute
