Free Republic

Just 28% of Americans say it is ethical for reporters to publish news stories based upon anonymous sources. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll of 1,000 adults found that 45% disagree and say the use of unnamed sources is unethical. Americans under 40 are more likely to find this journalistic practice acceptable than their elders, but a plurality of younger adults still finds the use of anonymous sources unethical. The public judgment is even harsher for reporters who publish classified information obtained from an anonymous source. By a three-to-one margin (63% to 21%) American adults believe that publishing such information...