Can You Cite an Off The Record Conversation

Nelson Minar who works with the Google Web API team raises a good point - “Anyone talking to media knows that telling a journalist something “off the record” means you’re telling them so they know it. It’s not going to stay secret. But it also clearly means that the comments aren’t to be used a primary source. The point of “off the record” is to steer a journalist the right way so they can dig in deeper and get the real story from a real source, on the record.

Blogs are great for discussing current events, particularly shades and nuance from multiple angles. But real journalism has a strong code of ethics, a responsibility to source reports, and careful editorial review.” Link.