Yeah, I'm sure Bobby Bigmouth was an off-the-record source. Journalists often have a number of people they know they can go to for a push in the right direction - secretaries, underlings, etc - who know what is going on but are unable/unwilling to be quoted. Journalists use these sources to get a better understanding of what is happening and to help them figure out who they should interview. For example, if Bobby Bigmouth told them that the connection between Costsmart and Intergang had to do with a secret a secret meeting every Tuesday, Lois and Clark would not publish that - they would try to find the meeting and sneak in or interview people who were there. Once the story broke, readers would see that Lois and Clark had uncovered a group who met in secret every Tuesday, but they would have no idea where they got that tip. Journalists have to be very careful to protect sources like these. Otherwise they might find themself floundering in the dark not knowing what the story is or who to interview.
Annie
