Re: Intel is not evidence
"Is a petty criminal used as an informer in exchange for not being jailed "good"? Is a big criminal used as an informer in exchange for a small (or none) penalty despite big crimes "ethical"? Don't journalist also get intel from "sources" who shouldn't release them, and whom journalists protect?"
Journalists usually follow through on the intel to see if they're substantive or not. It's just like any lead: it's only the start of your evidence trail, not the evidence in itself. The secondary research is what tends to corroborate the stories.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
