Is There Such a Thing As Off the Record Anymore?

In today's world is there really anything such as off the record anymore? With the need for juicier and juicier stories to make the headlines there really is not that much of a place for anonymous tips. Sally Quinn, reporter and wife of Ben Bradlee pondered this same question in today's Washington Post.

She claims that what made Deep Throat so legendary was that the identity did not leak out until this week. The fact is that in today's world if a story is too good it will eventually come out and so too will its sources. What sets Deep Throat apart for so many years was the fact that the story did not come out and integrity and trust ruled.

If a Deep Throat type source came to a reporter today do you think that their identity would be protected? To be honest I highly doubt it, because the source would probably succumb to the allure of book deals, movies, and talk show interviews with a big payoff (this is not to say that I would blame them for falling into the media trap).

Whatever your personal feelings about Deep Throat and whether you see him as an American hero or traitor, he didn't leak the information for money or fame, he did it because he saw it as his duty as a responsible citizen.