The rules about on/off the record

1) Everything said to a reporter is on the record. Because of this, the reporter needs to identify herself as a reporter and that she is working on a story for publication at the outset.

2) If someone wants to go off the record, they have to ask first, and then you decide whether you want to allow them to go off the record. They can't tell you something, and then say, "Oh, by the way, that's off the record."

3) If the source has asked to go off the record and you have agreed to allow this, then at that point nothing that is said can be used in a story. That's what off the record means. (There should also be a particular time when both source and reporter agree they are back on the record)

4) Off-the-record comments are usually useless to a reporter and more of a pain than they are worth. They are usually an attempt to handcuff the reporter from using information that the source wants to keep out of the paper. I see no practical purpose for allowing off the record. (The times I have allowed it was when I could tell the source was angry and just needed a moment to blow steam so he could give me a coherent answer on the record.)

5) Sometimes sources get confused about the terms. There may be a source who says they want the information off the record, but what they mean is you can use the information, but don't use my name. This is simply an unnamed source. Sometimes it's called background. Unnamed sources are also dangerous, and many newspapers have policies against it. However, sometimes larger newspapers and organizations like the AP will use unnamed sources as part of a major investigative piece.

But my bottom-line advice is: "Don't go off the record."