Alcune testate e agenzie USA (il gruppo McClatchy, Il National Journal e Bloomberg) hanno deciso di dare un giro di vite alla politica sui virgolettati. Nel senso che hanno proibito ai giornalisti di fare leggere le citazioni alle fonti, anche rischiando di perderle. Il tutto mentre il Washington Post è nella bufera a causa di un suo giornalista che ha fatto leggere una bozza d’articolo ad alcune fonti. E così è dovuto intervenire Marcus Brauchli, l’executive editor, per mettere le cose in chiaro.
Our objective in quoting people is to capture both their words and intended meaning accurately. That requires care in negotiating ground rules with sources. We do not allow sources to change the rules governing specific
quotations after the fact. Once a quote is on the record, it remains there. Sometimes, a source will agree to be interviewed only if we promise to read quotations back to the source before publication. We should not allow sources to change what was said in an original interview, although accuracy or the risk of losing an on-the-record quote from a crucial source may sometimes require it. A better and more acceptable alternative is to permit a source to add to a quotation and then explain that sequence to readers. If you find yourself in this gray area, consult with your editor. Some reporters share sections of stories with sources before publication, to ensure accuracy on technical points or to catch errors. A science writer, for instance, may read to a source a passage, or even much of a story, about a complex subject to make sure that it is accurate. But it is against our policy to share drafts of entire stories with outside sources prior to publication, except with the permission–which will be granted extremely rarely–of the Executive Editor or Managing Editor. In negotiating terms of engagement with a source, reporters and editors should be prepared for everything they say or write, in any medium, on the telephone or in person, to become public. They should make no promises, agree to no compromises and offer no concessions that aren’t compatible with this policy and The Post’s standards. Clarity and straightforwardness in our communications with sources is essential.
Il tutto per fare capire che quello che succede nei giornali italiani – dove si passa dall’inventarsi il virgolettato alla pubblicazione integrale di qualunque soffietto venga inviato da un fonte “potente” – non è esattamente lo standard da altre parti.
McClatchy, Poynter, Texas Observer