The Associated Press is spelling out a new ethics policy, according to Editor & Publisher. As part of this initiative, the AP is establishing a clear policy on the use of anonymous sources:
One of the lengthiest parts of the new guidelines relates to
anonymous sources, stating they can only be used if the material is
informational, not opinion or speculation; with approval of a news
manager; and if the manager knows the source's identity.
The USA Today ran an interesting article earlier this year
about how journalism has to offer something different, perhaps a bit
more credible, in order to compete with "the noisy buzz of the
information age" which no doubt includes the blogosphere. So as
PR people, this means helping mainstream journalists get the scoops
they need to stay competitive--providing access to high-level
executives, pitching more exclusives, etc.