She said, he said

Re “Going on the Record About Those Unnamed Sources,” by David Shaw, July 13, I employ Shaw’s very method when I do stories at the Wall Street Journal and agree with him wholeheartedly about trying again and again to get attribution for all quotes. I just completed a second book on the merger of AOL and Time Warner and spent the past weeks going back to everyone I interviewed who initially did not want to talk on the record. Many agreed to do so after I discussed what I wanted to use and in what context. I was not able to persuade everyone, and we all still make it too easy to be anonymous, but it bucked me up to read David Shaw’s bracing piece.

Kara Swisher

San Francisco

Kara Swisher is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal.

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David SHAW’S take on unnamed sources is right on the money. I’ve been in the newspaper business since 1974 and repeatedly have seen “unnamed sources” serving as a cop-out. I think some reporters cite “unnamed sources” simply to add some imagined zest to their stories. Fortunately, the trend seems to be dying away. Anonymous sources should be banned in virtually all cases. I think this policy will make reporters more accurate and credible.

Mark O’Brien

Pensacola, Fla.

Mark O’Brien is a columnist for the Pensacola News Journal.