The larger import of your question is that anonymous quotes can be a tool for manipulating reporters.

Hamilton said anonymous quotes were "more damaging to the ball club than losing. "

The heavy use of anonymous quotes in many publications also makes verifying them all but impossible.

There were more anonymous, gutless quotes coming out of there.

Thus there would be fewer anonymous quotes and more reporting that has been proved out instead of cheaply sourced.

Your column came very close to a solution on anonymous quotes.

Outside of the accounts of White House shake-ups, few news stories run with so many anonymous quotes.

We should - except in exceptional circumstances - avoid anonymous pejorative quotes.

In those cases it is best to cut the anonymous quote, as it adds nothing of value to the story.

Similarly, a denigrating, anonymous quote would also, according to Times standards, be excised.