Mint’s editor responds on story sourcing

BY Sukumar Ranganthan| IN Opinion | 03/02/2011

The Indian environment is different from the one J schools have in mind when they teach people the trade. Most business people and almost everyone in the government speaks on the condition that their name will not be used,

says Mint editor Sukumar Ranganathan in response to a student’s letter on the Hoot.

I read and liked Mr Tiwary's letter because I think he has highlighted an important issue. The Indian environment is different from the one J schools have in mind when they teach people the trade. Most business people and almost everyone in the government speaks on the condition that their name will not be used.

To ensure that all our stories are adequately sourced, we insist on multiple independent sourcing. And, to ensure that there is no conflict of interest and that reporters aren't making up people, they are required to identify their sources to the editor involved in the story and, should I feel the need for it, to me. The involvement of an editor (or editors) and the fact that every story in Mint goes through at least three at at most five levels of editing means that if someone is identified as an expert in a Mint story, he or she is really an expert.

I know this is a poor comparison, but Mint's stories are better sourced than those appearing in all other publications here. I am inclined to think that our punctiliousness about sourcing actually works against us sometimes (as evident from Mr Tiwary's letter). Unlike many other publications that carry stories without attributing all the material facts (it is as if the journalist just knows), we attribute everything, even if it is only to someone who isn't named. Still, I do acknowledge that it would be infinitely better to have sources who can be named and it has been, is, and will continue to be our endeavour to do that.

Finally, I am very impressed that Mr Tiwary's school has taught him to not just focus on the product but the process as well. At Mint, I'd like to reassure him, we worry equally about what we do as well as how we go about doing that.

Sukumar Ranganathan

Editor

Mint

Feb 3, 2011

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