“These news organizations have no choice but to report it.”
They have no choice to report stories from unnamed sources? Well it that is true then it should go both ways unless there is bias in journalism and journalist. duh.. but it will be only one sided.
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Not really. When senior officials, known to the reporters, BTW, make these kinds of accusations that's news. That doesn't mean these officials don't have their own agendas and it's important for the reporters to provide context. Including the fact the officials refuse to go public.
But the use of unnamed sources is rampant in the news business and every administration, including Trump's, constantly gives reporters briefings "on background" or provides quotes from "a senior administration official". It's one of the fundamental ways the administration shapes the narrative.
Trump may or may not have said these things - I imagine the truth is somewhere in the middle - but having multiple sources leak it and then confirm it to other outlets is news.
And people complaining about anonymous sources are naive and don't pay close attention to how the news works.