Patch and anonymous sources

Honest question of curiosity.

Does Patch have global runs of any sort? I am sure there must be some.

I look at the Patch for the area in which I used to live, and I have been following a school controversy down there.

A couple days ago, a story quoted someone as something like "Mike L." and used a comment from that person as part of a news story.

This morning, they have a story with quotes from people (and I cannot tell how many) identified only as "a Podunk teacher." The issue is not such a serious one that people would get fired over it.

The way I figure it, if you cannot get people on the record, you don't have the story.

This is not meant as a knock. I am just curious about policies.

(I have seen the message-board quoting used in some dailies. Our local paper uses it in a special boxed section once a week.)

 

Journalism has changed in that regard, notably in just the last few years. Anonymous sources are used constantly now, especially with rag Internet sites.

 

I do not see them constantly in the printed media. Many folks here jumped on the Daily News over the Jets story.

Laugh if it strikes you as funny, but I thought Patch wanted to me more respected than "rag Internet sites."

Again, not a knock, just curious. I know there are folks here who work or have worked for Patch.