[randomname2]

The BBC should know better than this, using "unnamed sources" to quote a rumour as fact.

No decision has been made yet, so this is just misinformation. Expect more of this over the next days.

[icebraining]

Reminds me of Yes, Minister:

  - Can I attribute it? "Minister speaks out"?
  - No, no, no.
  - Then, where did I get the story? I can't say, "Officially announced."
  - "Government spokesman"?
  - How about, "Sources close to Minister"?
  - Hold on, I don't want everybody to know I told you! Couldn't you do,
    "Speculation is growing in Westminster"?
  - A bit weak.
  - "Unofficial spokesman"?
  - Used that twice this week already!
  - The Cabinet's leaking like a sieve, isn't it?

[Someone]

Certainly with the BBC, that likely means "we talked to people who gave us information we judge to be correct, but we cannot tell you who those people are (likely because that was a precondition for them giving the information)"

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/edguide/... (I would make a clearer distinction between unnamed ("we know who (s)he is, but cannot tell you") and anonymous ("we don't know who (s)he is, so we cannot tell you") sources)

[raesene9]

Unfortunately this is extremely common in many countries where politicians and civil servants want something out without having it tied to them.

If you've been following the greece coverage, there's been lots of documents leaking from various sources on both sides of the negotiations. Last week when the initial greek proposal and the IMF "red-lined" version were in discussion, both were leaked on the day...

[peteretep]

    > in many countries where politicians and civil servants
    > want something out without having it tied to them

I wonder if there are any democracies where this mechanism isn't used

[peteretep]

    > "unnamed sources"

This doesn't mean it was a friend's uncle's brother told them, it means someone in a position to know intentionally leaked it.

[vidarh]

But not knowing who leaked it takes away the very important opportunity to judge their motivations for leaking it, which again has a substantial bearing on how believable a leak is.