.svg)
unnamedSourcesPolicy
unnamedSourcesPolicy · Optional
Appears in
What is it?
unnamedSourcesPolicy links a news organization to its policy on using unnamed or anonymous sources. This policy describes the conditions under which reporters may grant anonymity to sources, what editorial approval is required, and how such information is characterized to readers.
The field is defined primarily for NewsMediaOrganization but is valid on Organization. It accepts a CreativeWork or URL. It is a sub-property of publishingPrinciples, meaning it can be considered a specific instance of the broader publishing principles category.
Why this matters for AEO
Anonymous sourcing is one of the most contested practices in journalism. AI systems evaluating news credibility look for signals that a publication has explicit, declared standards for a practice that directly affects the verifiability of its reporting. A news organization that publicly states its unnamed sources policy signals that it has thought through the practice deliberately and holds itself accountable to written standards. For AI answer engines that must evaluate source quality when selecting information to surface in responses, this kind of editorial transparency is a differentiating signal. Publications without declared unnamed sources policies are more opaque about a practice that directly affects how much weight their reporting should carry.
What the specs say
Schema.org:unnamedSourcesPolicy expects a CreativeWork or URL. It is a statement about policy on the use of unnamed sources and the decision process required, for an Organization typically a NewsMediaOrganization. It is a sub-property of publishingPrinciples. [Source: https://schema.org/unnamedSourcesPolicy]
Google: Not mentioned. This field is not listed in Google's structured data documentation for Organization. [https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/organization]
How to find your value
Unnamed sources policies typically appear in:
- Ethics handbooks (the AP Stylebook, for instance, includes anonymous source guidance)
- Editorial standards documents that include a section on source handling
- Standalone anonymous source policies published separately
- Frequently asked questions sections of news organization About pages
If your organization does not have a standalone unnamed sources policy, it may exist as a section of a broader ethics or editorial standards document. Point to the most specific page or section available.
Format and code
Simple URL:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"name": "The Washington Post",
"url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com",
"unnamedSourcesPolicy": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/policies-and-standards/anonymous-sources/"
}
CreativeWork object:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"name": "BuzzFeed News",
"url": "https://www.buzzfeednews.com",
"unnamedSourcesPolicy": {
"@type": "CreativeWork",
"name": "BuzzFeed News Standards and Ethics: Anonymous Sources",
"url": "https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shani/buzzfeed-news-standards-and-ethics"
}
}
Full Trust Project transparency block:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"name": "Associated Press",
"url": "https://apnews.com",
"unnamedSourcesPolicy": "https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/",
"publishingPrinciples": "https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/",
"ethicsPolicy": "https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/",
"correctionsPolicy": "https://apnews.com/corrections",
"masthead": "https://www.ap.org/about/"
}
Note: When an organization has a comprehensive standards document that covers multiple policy areas, it is valid to point multiple policy fields to the same URL or to the same document.
Webflow implementation
Static pages
Add unnamedSourcesPolicy to your NewsMediaOrganization JSON-LD block on your homepage or About page via Page Settings > Custom Code. The policy URL is stable and does not require CMS management.
CMS template pages
As an organization-level transparency field, implement on static pages rather than CMS templates.
In Schema HQ
Inside Schema HQ, the organization schema editor includes unnamedSourcesPolicy as a URL field in the news organization transparency section. Enter the URL of your anonymous sources policy, and Schema HQ publishes it in the organization's JSON-LD.
Real examples
The New York Times :
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"name": "The New York Times",
"url": "https://www.nytimes.com",
"unnamedSourcesPolicy": "https://www.nytimes.com/editorial-standards/guidelines-on-integrity.html",
"publishingPrinciples": "https://www.nytimes.com/editorial-standards/ethical-journalism.html"
}
Related fields
FAQ
Why is unnamedSourcesPolicy a sub-property of publishingPrinciples?
Schema.org treats unnamedSourcesPolicy as a specific type of publishing principle, meaning it is a named sub-property of the broader publishingPrinciples field. In practice, this means a comprehensive publishingPrinciples document may contain the unnamed sources policy within it. Using unnamedSourcesPolicy as a distinct field allows systems to locate the specific policy without parsing the full principles document.
Should the policy URL be the same as the publishingPrinciples URL?
It can be. If your unnamed sources policy exists only as a section of your broader editorial standards document, pointing both fields to the same URL is valid. If you have a standalone unnamed sources policy page, use its specific URL for unnamedSourcesPolicy and the broader document URL for publishingPrinciples.
Does this field apply to organizations that are not news organizations?
Technically yes, but in practice unnamedSourcesPolicy is specific to journalistic contexts. Non-news organizations that use sources in any form (research reports, case studies, testimonials) could declare a sourcing policy using this field, but the field's intent and the Trust Project framework it comes from are news-industry focused.
