Why Are NAZA’s Interviewees Anonymous?
NAZA conceals the identities of its 24 military and intelligence interviewees. Their faces and voices are obscured, and the filmmakers present anonymity as necessary for people discussing sensitive military systems. The same anonymity is also one of the IDF’s central criticisms of the documentary.
Why journalists use anonymous sources
Anonymous sourcing can be necessary when identifiable sources face legal, professional or physical consequences. The test is not whether a source is named but whether the information is corroborated and whether editors understand the source’s access and reliability.
The IDF criticism
The IDF says the film relies on anonymous accounts that cannot be verified, and argues that the interviewees generally describe a limited, initial stage of a targeting process that has many more stages.
The Guardian’s response
A Guardian spokesperson said the testimonies were checked against leaked classified documents, verification of specific strikes and a wider pool of confidential sources who do not appear in the film. The spokesperson said the team had interviewed more than 100 sources over three years, including senior commanders.
What remains for the viewer
Anonymity should increase the importance of corroboration. It should not be used as an automatic reason either to accept or dismiss testimony.