We Know Who You Are
by Heidi Ernst
When someone says "caller ID," you may think joyful thoughts ofscreening out telemarketing calls. But have you ever thought about how caller IDmight affect your newsroom's policies on anonymous sources?
The technology is made possible by automatic number identification, amechanism that telephone companies originated to determine what account tocharge. A caller's phone number, and sometimes name and address, is displayed ona box attached to the designated phone. Caller ID is also available viaIntegrated Services Digital Network technology.
Whether a newsroom should use such a service is the question.
"If we see the number, and the source wants to remain anonymous, werespect that," says news assistant Karine Michael of the Star Tribune inMinneapolis, whose phone at the city desk is the newsroom's only one with callerID. The system has been most helpful in thwarting harassing calls to reporters,says Michael, such as when a reporter named a prostitution-ring leader, who thencalled repeatedly to bother the reporter. The harasser's number was given topolice.
Of the dozen newsrooms of various sizes that we surveyed, most did not haveID capabilities. A consensus was that sources who want to remain anonymouscould evade caller ID, but that those who don't should be treated the wayjournalists have always treated such sources.
Reporters and editors nationwide are discussing caller ID and the ethicalissues involved with anonymous sources, says Brant Houston, executive directorof Investigative Reporters and Editors, a trade group. "With this newtechnology comes new responsibilities and a new set of questions," he says."A newspaper should think very seriously about caller ID in newsrooms, andshould consider full disclosure about it. I just see something that can take abite out of you later on."
Heidi Ernst is a free-lance writer based in Washington, D.C. E-mail,Hernst96@aol.com; phone, (202) 887-6486.