‘In the past few weeks reporters have called, and the first thing out of their mouth is, “You want to go off the record?”’

‘If you push back, you can get results, and we need to push back more collectively.’

With secrecy on the rise, what is happening in Washington, D.C. is having a wider impact on how government officials relate to the press.

Surveys of journalists and public opinion place the use and need for anonymous sources in a broader context.

Due to cultural and language differences, trainers can be ‘regarded as a sort of extraterrestrial as they deliver their advice and lessons.’

‘Until overseas trainers get to know the interests of the particular individuals with whom they’ll work, they are unlikely to be able to specify terms of success.’

More in-depth and better-documented stories began to be told after an intensive training program.

‘I understand better our obligation to expand communication about the program through the tools of e-mail and the Web.’

‘There are journalists who justify their apathy with the lack of [good working] conditions.’

With concerns about safety, ‘our interpreters became something much more than translators.’