When to grant anonymity is a complex question, but I'm immensely frustrated by how many reporters don't even stop to question why a source might want anonymity. In particular, why a source who's part of the government, making a claim that supports a government narrative, via unclassified data, would have any need for anonymity if they had faith in their claim.
Conor Friedersdorf summarized matters very nicely years ago, and it's a shame so few people seem to have paid attention:
> The very weakest case for withholding a source’s name is when 1) powerful officials 2) with a clear incentive to lie 3) use anonymity to spread a self-serving narrative 4) without accountability 5) on a matter of great consequence.
Agencies always have official spokespeople and anyone making comments to the press about things they shouldn't be talking about (like an active investigation) can get in a lot of trouble if that agency finds out it was them who leaked to the press.
Conor Friedersdorf summarized matters very nicely years ago, and it's a shame so few people seem to have paid attention:
> The very weakest case for withholding a source’s name is when 1) powerful officials 2) with a clear incentive to lie 3) use anonymity to spread a self-serving narrative 4) without accountability 5) on a matter of great consequence.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/the-per...