Off the Record question

[humphreybc]

I have been wondering this for a few days now.

If a reporter is interviewing someone, and that person says "this is off the record" or "confidential" or "just between you and me" etc etc - is the reporter legally obliged to not print it, (like a verbal contract of sorts) or is it just a personal request from the person being interviewed?

[donniezazen]

I have been wondering this for a few days now.

If a reporter is interviewing someone, and that person says "this is off the record" or "confidential" or "just between you and me" etc etc - is the reporter legally obliged to not print it, (like a verbal contract of sorts) or is it just a personal request from the person being interviewed?

You do publish it even if its off the record or confidential but you will have to say so and you will have no proof that somebody said so. Why would you accuse somebody without proof unless you want to get sued.

[koshatnik]

I have been wondering this for a few days now.

If a reporter is interviewing someone, and that person says "this is off the record" or "confidential" or "just between you and me" etc etc - is the reporter legally obliged to not print it, (like a verbal contract of sorts) or is it just a personal request from the person being interviewed?

Not obliged, but it will damage a reporters credibility and will make it harder for that person to get key interviews with the people in the future. If an interviewee says, this is off the record, then it is with the full expectation that it will not be printed. If it does get printed, it is not legally binding, it opens the reporter up to a lawsuit and will damage his/her reputation.

So, in general, reporters tend not to print off the record remarks. It ends careers.

[L4U]

I have been wondering this for a few days now.

If a reporter is interviewing someone, and that person says "this is off the record" or "confidential" or "just between you and me" etc etc
Soooooo, what did they say to you?!

[blueshiftoverwatch]

Why would the reporter even ask the question if it wasn't going to be published?

[humphreybc]

Soooooo, what did they say to you?!

Haha no I'm not famous enough to have people interviewing me. I was just wondering out of curiosity.

That makes sense about damaging the reputation, I was just wondering if it was a legal thing or just frequently used too often in movies.

Thanks for the answers, learn something new every day!

[clanky]

Why would the reporter even ask the question if it wasn't going to be published?

There are times when someone being interviewed wants to pas on information to a reporter, but doesn't want to be named as the source. Imagine if you worked for a big company who was doing something that you disagreed with and a reporter asked you about what was happening. You may want to pass the information on so that the reporter knows what is happening and can investigate further, but you would probably not want your boss to be reading a quote from you about how he is planning to bulldoze the local nature reserve to build new offices.

[gn2]

~ is the reporter legally obliged to not print it, ~

That depends on the law in the country concerned.

As a general rule, if there's ever anything you don't want people to know, don't tell anyone about it.

[ice60]

I have been wondering this for a few days now.

If a reporter is interviewing someone, and that person says "this is off the record" or "confidential" or "just between you and me" etc etc - is the reporter legally obliged to not print it, (like a verbal contract of sorts) or is it just a personal request from the person being interviewed?

there is no such thing as "off the record". it's just a trust thing.

i remember this if you're interested?
Why You Should Never Talk to the Police (http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/07/why_you_should.html) there are two videos, both are very good. at one point, maybe the second video with the policeman, he says how he catches people when they think they are talking off the record lol

edit: last night i watched the film "No Man's Land" a soldier talks to a reporter "off the record" and she uses it 5 seconds later on her report LOL

[jayze]

I Agree... Most definately its a trust thing......Also bear in mind that laws need to be enforced. So he breaks a verbal contract? then what? you sue? you pay solicitors?you win you lose?..Usually in civil cases the only people who come out tops are lawyers unless you are just fame hungry at any cost!..Personally I've always found that it pays to tell absolutely everybody either nothing or a complete load of b@@@@@@s..if you are worried about what you have told somebody then get hold of them and tell them more.. but.this time absolute ficticious whoppers...Its called confusing the enemy!...As for reporters..well yeah..I'd steer clear full stop if it were me.:popcorn:

[howefield]

Why would the reporter even ask the question if it wasn't going to be published?

It isn't likely to be the question that is off the record, but the answer.

[koshatnik]

That depends on the law in the country concerned.

As a general rule, if there's ever anything you don't want people to know, don't tell anyone about it.

As far as I know there are no laws covering off the record remarks, but yeah, if you dont want someone to know something, then you don't tell them.

It is a trust thing entirely, and as reporters need integrity and trust in order to get interviews, those that persistently break trust wont get work.

[t0p]

There's no "verbal contract" or any other legal obligation on a journo to respect the wishes of an interviewee to keep a comment off the record. But the reporter's relationship with the interviewee and other sources is at stake. For example: let's suppose that a politician makes an off the record comment during an interview and the journo decides to include the comment in his story. That politician will not trust the journo again, and may never agree to an interview with him again. Plus the politician's party colleagues will question the journo's integrity, and the journo may have problems getting interviews with any of that party's members. Sources of information from within the party may dry up. The journo may find himself utterly unable to report on the party. And if the reporter can't do his job, his employer will get rid of him. That's why a journo will keep off the record comments off the record.

[gn2]

When a journo gets fed non-attributable stuff by a politician or their staff, "sources close to" usually covers it.