Multiple sources

In order to be accurate and able to think critically, the Financial Times requires the journalists to have at least two independent sources when they write a story as a scoop. Bogler says “We have a system where if you can get two sources, three is better, but if you have two independent sources that both is telling the same thing, then you can write a story”.

As examined the previous section, it is very difficult for the journalists to obtain the negative stories. How do they tackle to this difficulty? Scott says “you have to have your own contacts”, and he tries to visit the events like conventions and build his own network. According to Dawkins, the journalists need to be trained “through reading, experience, knowledge, constant questioning to the expert sources, moral courage [and] having the ability to say nobody wants to hear”.

He continues, “if the information is new or in question, you should have at least two other sources”. For example, “one company is taking over another, you have to talk to both”. For example, the case like company A tries to takeover company B, and the journalist gets this information from company A, he/she is necessary to talk to company B. According to him, as a tactic to be accurate and not to be manipulated by the source, the journalist should ask to the leaker saying “can I talk to company B about it?” The person says no, the journalist should not make any action.

However, this process seems to be reliant on the news source’s initiative. Dawkins says “you get the limits. You have to be independent. But you’ve got to behave with complete integrity”. To pursue what he talks, he suggests asking to oneself if it is good to report when he/she starts reporting.

“Imagine you are going to explain to your father or your mother, what your work has done. Would you feel happy about it? If you don’t feel happy, then something is wrong. Or, if the way you behave is reported on your newspaper, I reported a takeover, company A to company B in the following way, you know, I didn’t talk to anybody, I didn’t check, would you be happy about that the answer is no, then you don’t do it”.

When he was a journalist for the Financial Times, he got a scoop about the French government’s plan to launch the restructuring of its semi-conductor industry. His news source was the French Industrial Minister at that time.

“I had a talk to half a dozen of very senior people get their response to really fast get it in the paper. What I did is I send all those story and I thought, when I’ve got it and thought story was really amazing, so went back to my original source who is the industry minister of France at that time, told them what I am planning to write and say look, do you really mean this? How would you feel if it exists in the newspaper tomorrow’?, do you really want me to publish this? Then he said ‘yes go ahead’. And…we’ve got it.

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