A corporate spokesperson spoke to them “on background”. A “corporate communications professional speaking to [them] in [their] official capacity“ has the option detailed in that section to request anonymity while being quoted.
There must have been an agreement between The Verge and the corporate representative to speak without being identified beyond their affiliation with the company, as described In the section titled “on background”.
“Nothing there said the spokesperson is not a source”
They said in their statements that they wouldn’t identify a corporate spokesperson as a “source familiar”. That language is intended to avoid describing the representative as an actual “source” in the sense of identifying them as a leak.
Untrue. Reddit employees doing what their bosses tell them to are justifiably afraid of the blowback. Reminds me of the directive to not wear Reddit branding with the 3rd party app thing These folks don’t want targets on their back.
Was this corporate spokesperson authorized to talk to this outlet about this topic? Just because they’re a spokesperson doesn’t mean they can talk freely.
In journalism, a source is a person, publication, or knowledge of other record or document that gives timely information. Outside journalism, sources are sometimes known as “news sources”. Examples of sources include official records, publications or broadcasts, officials in government or business, organizations or corporations, witnesses of crime, accidents or other events, and people involved with or affected by a news event or issue.
You give it to whoever asks for it or you never get another source again.
That’s not what they do according to their own ethics statement
https://www.theverge.com/ethics-statement
I’m not reading that. What are you saying?
Take the link and scroll down to the section titled “ON BACKGROUND”
I still don’t get it. Nothing there says a spokesperson is not a source. Which is good because saying such a thing would make absolutely no sense.
A corporate spokesperson spoke to them “on background”. A “corporate communications professional speaking to [them] in [their] official capacity“ has the option detailed in that section to request anonymity while being quoted.
There must have been an agreement between The Verge and the corporate representative to speak without being identified beyond their affiliation with the company, as described In the section titled “on background”.
Once again, none of this contradicts what I said.
“Nothing there said the spokesperson is not a source”
They said in their statements that they wouldn’t identify a corporate spokesperson as a “source familiar”. That language is intended to avoid describing the representative as an actual “source” in the sense of identifying them as a leak.
This isn’t a “source”. This is a corporate spokesperson
Even though it’s a corporate spokesperson, they wouldn’t have requested anonymity if they were allowed to talk about it…
Untrue. Reddit employees doing what their bosses tell them to are justifiably afraid of the blowback. Reminds me of the directive to not wear Reddit branding with the 3rd party app thing These folks don’t want targets on their back.
…its both
Was this corporate spokesperson authorized to talk to this outlet about this topic? Just because they’re a spokesperson doesn’t mean they can talk freely.
Yes, that’s what a spokesperson is. Did you read the article? If it was a leak that would have been stated.