Journalist authors back anonymous sourcing

The Politico said journalists Bob Woodward and Jonathan Alter each use their forthcoming works on the Obama administration to defend their use of anonymous sourcing, a media tool facing criticism in the journalistic world.

Woodward said using anonymous sourcing allows high-ranking individuals a chance to provide information about key issues.

"It's the only method if you're going to get an unlaundered version of what occurred," said the Washington Post journalist, who added the book he is working on is "going very well."

Alter, whose book "The Promise: President Obama, Year One" is due out in May, claimed "the idea that you can write one of these books without using anonymous sources is erroneous." Alter works as a senior editor for Newsweek.

The Politico said the debate on the use of anonymous sources was intensified through the recent publication of "Game Change" by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. Some critics claimed some details in the book had questionable verifiability.

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