I remember a foreign correspondant freshly kicked out of China missing her job almost like a drug. Covering China from Taipei just wasn't the same.
She talked to me about how she would painstakingly gain the trust of people slowly over time. How difficult it was because they were all terrified of getting in trouble talking to her. And how if one of them has a moment of weakness and give her what she wants, she must not hesitate even for a second. She must get to them and get as much information as possible before they change they mind.
"All my sources are single-use sources," she said, a little wistful, a little boastful, "they always get to them after the story goes to print."
I know this is where I am supposed to condemn the evil Chinese government for squashing press freedom and punishing people for speaking to reporters. This is where I'm supposed to praise the intrepid reporter for telling the truth about China that they don't want you to know.
But in that moment, I just felt a chill. I couldn't get over the phrase "single-use source."
In life, all sorts of people will be nice to you. They may genuinely be very fond of you. But if they think of you as a "single-use source," it is very, very important never to trust them.
🕊️ Un respectuós silenci en memòria dels socis i les sòcies del FC Barcelona que ens han deixat durant la darrera temporada, així com de les víctimes de les devastadores inundacions a la frontera entre el Nepal i la Xina.