--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Inventing sources is not a crime in and…" description: "\"Inventing sources is not a crime in and of itself, although it certainly violates every code of journalistic ethics known to man. A criminal fraud case..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/brendan-i-koerner-21170_although_inventing-sources-is-not-a-crime-in-and_2134199.jpg" --- # Inventing sources is not a crime in and of itself… ![“Inventing sources is not a crime in and of itself, although it certainly violates every code of journalistic ethics known to man. A criminal fraud case would require that the reporter's deceit had been malicious and resulted in financial gain.” quote by Brendan I. Koerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/brendan-i-koerner-21170_although_inventing-sources-is-not-a-crime-in-and_2134199.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/brendan-i-koerner-21170_although_inventing-sources-is-not-a-crime-in-and_2134199.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/610/brendan-i-koerner-21170_although_inventing-sources-is-not-a-crime-in-and_2134199.jpg) > “Inventing sources is not a crime in and of itself, although it certainly violates every code of journalistic ethics known to man. A criminal fraud case would require that the reporter's deceit had been malicious and resulted in financial gain.” [Brendan I. Koerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-i-koerner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating fictional sources is unethical unless it is clearly satirical and causes no harm. **In simple terms:** Fictional sources breach journalistic ethics. Key Takeaway Avoid fabricating sources. Themes journalism ethics integrity trust Mood critical cautious Type ethical professional When to use this quote - newsrooms - media training - fact‑checking - academic publishing Key Concepts deception misinformation professional standards Questions to Reflect On - When is a fabricated source acceptable? - How can audiences verify source authenticity? A Different Perspective The line between satire and fraud can be blurry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/code/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Criminal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal/) [Deceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deceit/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Fraud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fraud/) [Inventing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventing/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Reporter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reporter/) [Resulted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resulted/) ## Related quotes > [The media does play a vital role in our democracy, and if we cannot depend on journalistic ethics, the nation's in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-brat/the-media-does-play-a-vital-role-in-our-democracy-and-if-we-cannot/) [Dave Brat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-brat/) > [There are no journalistic ethics that transcend the value of human life. 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