Law and ethics
Chequebook journalism
Paying a source for their story or an interview, a practice many see as corrupting the information it buys.
Chequebook journalism puts money on the table for a story, usually an exclusive with someone at the centre of a big event. Critics argue that paying sources tempts them to embroider, taints witnesses and lets the richest outlet buy the story. It is most common in tabloid and celebrity reporting, and most serious codes of ethics warn against it.