Sources play different roles in journalism and institutional news, but some similar issues can arise. Does fact-checking with sources strengthen a story by catching errors, or weaken it by introducing bias? Do writers rely too heavily on sources to provide honest assessment of their own work? Does outside comment have a place in news releases?

As institutions engage in more direct-to-consumer communication, traditional distinctions between journalism and public relations are blurring, especially for readers. This panel will discuss the roles sources play in different types of science writing and explore how institutional news practices can affect journalism.