Definition of a source A source in journalism is the origin of information. It can be a person (a witness, an expert, a spokesperson), a document (report, press release), or raw data (statistics, study, records). Without sources, there is no reliable information: they...

Definition A trial balloon is information deliberately floated in the public arena to gauge reactions, without any official commitment from its source. Common in politics, it’s a way to test the waters before making a decision. Unlike a leak (uncontrolled), a trial...