Silence the unnamed source

THE sensational and ill-informed press coverage of Liam Lawlor’s death in a car accident in Moscow has once again prompted debate on media accountability.

One problem is the use of unnamed sources, making it difficult for readers to assess the likely accuracy of quotes.

A veteran journalist in the UK, Simon Hoggart, has pointed out that such unnamed sources must be treated with the greatest caution, since they do not want to be held accountable for the information they disseminate.