On and Off Record. What Does it Really Mean?

In traditional journalism circles, “off the record” means that a journalist cannot use the quote even anonymously. Granted, people don’t often know what they mean when they employ the phrase. Sometimes they just want assurance that they won’t be quoted. Once negotiated, “on background” typically means you can use without attribution. But in a recent story by Slate‘s Dave Weigel, he sways on and off the record in a surprising manner. Surprising in that he uses “off the record” quotes that are supposed to be off the record.