Why is there an increased desire for anonymity?

Illustration by Sami Seyedhosseini, Cartoonist

Is the threat to job security and polarized state of campus — or the world — so evident to panthers that they are unwilling to go on record about anything?

As the news editor for The Panther, this is the question I have been asking myself more than I would have liked. This semester, students have been requesting anonymity when sharing quotes about topics ranging from their favorite entertainment to speaking on behalf of a club they are publicly associated with.

Although the influx of anonymous sources can cause me some hiccups — and frankly, has become so frustrating that I now joke about it — I’m more interested in why harmless topics, such as thoughts on classes offered at Chapman, suddenly seem so taboo for students to discuss openly.  

There is some validity to not wanting your name out there all the time. I mean, I’m not the opinion editor for a reason, and I’m also guilty of not liking specific reels so people won’t see what I agree with or find funny. However, that is vastly different from asking for anonymity from a journalistic publication and expecting it to be granted for what is, let's face it, an invalid reason.

The Society of Professional Journalists, which most publications, including The Panther, adhere to, outlines how the use of anonymous sources reflects on a publication.

Journalists try to avoid anonymous sources because if “said an unnamed individual” is repeated over and over, it can lead to questions about the credibility of sources and whether they’re even real.

Nonetheless, anonymity is permitted for extreme security reasons. This includes the status of one’s citizenship, job security or physical safety. That said, those individuals would have to be speaking about relevant topics, such as new immigration policies, workplace misconduct or speaking out against a specific individual, respectively. 

On a much larger scale, a proper example of anonymity is how it was used in the Watergate scandal. Mark Felt, the then-FBI associate director, leaked information to The Washington Post to expose Richard Nixon’s involvement in the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters, with plans to use stolen documents and bugs for his reelection campaign. 

Felt was in a high position at one of the nation’s largest security departments, going after the president of the United States. There are few journalistic situations with higher risks than that.

But now, anonymity is being requested by college students out of caution of hurting someone's feelings or even without any explanation whatsoever. 

So where is the disconnect?

I think a lot of Gen Z’s perspective on what we are proud to proclaim versus keep private has been shaped by technology. We are accustomed to moderating who sees what on close friends stories, posting anonymously on Fizz or using burner accounts where most, but perhaps not all, know our true identities. 

Additionally, we were given the “everything online stays there forever, so your future employers will see it” spiel countless times, beginning in elementary school. However, if people truly wanted to be cautious about their digital footprint and feared the impact of social media on their job prospects, they wouldn’t post every Friday night, where they may or may not be intoxicated at a party, possibly as a minor.

But no. Instead, posts about the latest frats will rise alongside the requests for anonymity. So, quite frankly, I don’t want to hear that you think your name appearing in a college newspaper may signify something bad about you.

Even go as far as to consider how making a statement to a press outlet may look good to employers. It shows you have experience being interviewed. It shows that you work well with outside agencies. It shows that you are proud of the groups or organizations you are a part of. It shows you have strong opinions and beliefs, which I believe is more respectable than many are led to think.

So, next time you receive an email from me or another Panther staff member asking if you would be willing to be interviewed, consider how you have been given the opportunity to express your thoughts and beliefs. Journalists are not here to paint a reputation for sources; we are here to tell people’s stories and share their experiences.