Last Updated: May 20, 1999
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Inside the Beltway
On the record: Speaks for itself.
Off the record: Means just that. Don’t print it unless you can
confirm it elsewhere and prove it to your original source.
Not for attribution: You can print it, but you can’t attribute
by name. “A Defense Department official” but you can’t say Secretary Bill
Cohen. You should be able to back up the information, however.
Background: Also not for attribution. You can use but not by
name.
Deep background: You’re allowed to write it but you must say
it as though you know it. You can’t even attribute to anonymous sources.
Example: “The president is known to think that ...” This is the so-called
“Lindley rule.” It was devised by Ernest K. Lindley — a former top Newsweek
correspondent.
