In newsroom practice, confidentiality means:

• A. Publishing sources openly
• B. Sharing with colleagues
• C. Revealing names publicly
• D. Keeping sources and sensitive information private

Answer: (D)

Confidentiality in newsroom practice means protecting the privacy of sources and the sensitive information they share. This principle helps build trust: sources are more willing to come forward if they know their identities and details won’t be exposed without a strong, justified reason. Keeping information private doesn’t mean never sharing at all; it means sharing only with authorized colleagues when necessary to verify facts or report responsibly, and never releasing names or sensitive data unless there’s a legitimate reason or a legal obligation.

Publishing sources openly would put people at risk and undermine trust. Sharing with colleagues can be appropriate in certain internal contexts, but confidentiality specifically emphasizes restricting disclosure to protect privacy, not broad or public release. Revealing names publicly would violate that privacy. So, keeping sources and sensitive information private best captures what confidentiality means in newsroom practice.