U nnamed whistleblowers who want the public to know certain things are often referred to as “sources” — a time-tested device in journalistic storytelling. The motivation of sources could be public interest, business rivalries, or even settling personal scores. Generally speaking, sources challenge an official narrative, regardless of their motive. But in a relatively new practice in journalism, platforms cite sources who merely amplify official narratives. As their claims align with those of the state, one wonders what or who these unnamed sources fear.

The effectiveness of journalism is not entirely a function of the quality of an individual journalist or a media platform — a basic fact that many well-meaning critics of the current state of affairs of the profession often tend to miss.

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