The foundational obligation when a source speaks on condition of anonymity is not simply “don’t print the name.” It is don’t publish information that makes the person identifiable. The SPJ Code of Ethics, the AP Stylebook, and every major newsroom’s published standards say this clearly. There is a reason for it: the protection exists so that officials can speak candidly without fear that the speaking itself becomes a weapon against them. Journalism ethics boards and courts have long recognized what is sometimes called functional identification — the principle that publishing details that uniquely identify someone constitutes unmasking them regardless of whether the name appears in the text.