Lance Armstrong and the risk of Anonymous Sources

NEWS FLASH! Neal Rogers, Velonews managing editor, reports that anonymous sources tell him that somebody told them that Lance Armstrong is coming out of retirement to race for Astana. Specifically, he will compete in the Tour of California, Paris-Nice, Tour de (that's Southern for "of") Georgia, Daupine Libere, and of course, Le Tour de France.

Looking good Neal!
Way to use anonymous sources.

"Sources Say" is a Ticket to Trouble

Several issues bring us to 41x15's latest in its continuing series, Mocking Our Betters. The first of these few things: "Sources say."

Why, you ask, should you listen to 41x15's criticism of this particular breed of silliness? Because in a past life 41x15 publisher and editor in chief, Erik, spent several years working in broadcast news. Broadcast news you say! What a hack! Well, sure. But I did spend my formative years working as a hack at an NPR affiliate.

And then I received a law degree. "Ha!" you say. From TV news to lawyering - a lateral move in the gutter. "What a hack." Well, sure, but a academically published hack. I wrote a long article about anonymous sources and the law. Not only did I write it, people even read it. (See Putting Journalists on Thin Ice: McKevitt v. Pallasch, 73 U.CIN.L.REV. 293 (2004) (included in materials for 2005 Second Circuit Judicial Conference; cited, 29 U.Ark.Little Rock L.Rev. 1, 6 (2006); 14 Wm. & Mary Bill Rts. J. 1063, 1119 (2006); 82 Ind.L.J. 549, 573 (2007); 57 Duke L.J. 199, 230 (2007)).)

So here's the deal. Neal Rogers has likely committed at least two journalistic sins. First, he used a confidential source. Based on the lack of information in the article it appears at first glance and based entirely on speculation from reading the article (twice) that Neal Rogers has no independent corroboration other than a friend at Vanity Fair. I sure hope it is a good friend. If he's reporting wrong, his friend hosed him. If he's right, his friend at Vanity Fair leaked an actual exclusive of what is not only a big cycling story, but a big celebrity story. Neal hosed his friend because Vanity Fair will not be happy to lose a story to a magazine with 1/1000th of VF's distribution and 1/100,000,000 of its power.

Moreover, anonymous sources should only be used where absolutely necessary. Yes, the story is huge. All the more reason to be sure that you independent corroborate it.

Also, and this is just a pet peeve, I hate it when journalists interview journalists who interviewed someone who knows something. Journalists are supposed to interview the people who know something.

CyclingNews is Cheating

In pursuit of a story where they apparently don't have a friend at Vanity Fair, CyclingNews reports that, "Armstrong is reportedly returning to the peloton to undertake a limited racing schedule for 2009 according to anonymous sources commenting at the Eurobike trade show."

What? Anonymous sources don't make comments at a trade show. Info obtained at a trade show is public. Rumors obtained at a trade show are useful only to start working on a story. Rumors are not, and never will be a story, except on Inside Edition.

Lance Armstrong is Going to Lose the Tour de France

Lance Armstrong hasn't won a race since he retired after winning his seventh Tour de France. He didn't even come close to winning any marathon he entered. For goodness sake, he lost a mountain bike race that allows amateurs to enter.

Why? Why? Why? Why would Lance Armstrong unretire. Reports from anonymous sources say that "According to sources, (for this article, Neal Rogers, for Neal, somebody he knows and rumors at Eurobike, for the rumor mongers at Eurobike it was Deepthroat) the Texan will post all of his internally tested blood work online, in an attempt to establish complete transparency and prove that he is a clean athlete."

That's just silly. If Lance wasn't clean this won't prove it. If Lance was clean, this won't prove it. And it will totally screw up the whole Alberto Contador has heir apparent thing. I heard a rumor that Lance is coming out of retirement because Contador can win races other than the Tour de France and Lance wants to show that he can beat Contador.

In other news, Bernard Hinault will be going for his sixth Tour win.

And somebody who is going to Interbike told 41x15's cousin's roommate that Jonathon Vaughters is coming out of retirement to captain Garmin.