These four terms cause more burned sources and angry follow-up calls than any hostile question. The reason is simple: reporters and the people they interview frequently mean different things by the same phrase, and nobody checks until it is too late. Here is what each term means, why the definitions drift, and how to set ground rules that both sides actually agree on.
The four terms
On the record
Anything you say can be quoted word for word and attributed to you by name and title. This is the default. Every conversation with a reporter is on the record from the first hello unless you have both explicitly agreed to something else before you started talking. Assume the recorder is running and the notebook is open.
Off the record
The reporter cannot publish the information, cannot attribute it to anyone, and in the strictest reading cannot act on it at all. Reporters vary in how they treat it. Some will accept genuinely off-the-record information and hold it. Others will decline the offer because it constrains their reporting without giving them anything usable. A few will treat it as “I now know this and will confirm it elsewhere.” Because of that variation, off the record is the riskiest term to rely on. If the information would harm you if it leaked, the safer move is to not say it.
On background
The reporter can use the information and can quote you, but cannot name you. Instead they use an agreed attribution: “a company spokesperson,” “a senior executive,” “a person familiar with the company’s plans.” The exact wording matters and should be negotiated before you speak, because “a spokesperson” and “a person familiar with the matter” tell readers very different things about how close the source is.
Deep background
The reporter can use what you tell them to guide their reporting and sharpen their questions, but cannot quote it or attribute it to any source, named or anonymous. It informs the story without appearing in it. This is how a source helps a reporter understand a complicated situation without leaving fingerprints.
Why the definitions drift
The confusion clusters around two pairs. First, many people use “off the record” when they mean “on background.” They want the reporter to use the information but not name them, which is background, not off the record. Second, newer reporters sometimes treat “on background” as “don’t quote me directly but you can paraphrase freely,” which is looser than most sources intend.
Because the terms are unreliable, do not rely on them. State what you want in plain language: “You can use this, but describe me as a company spokesperson, not by name” or “This next part is just to help you understand the context, please don’t use it at all.” Then get an explicit “agreed” back before you continue.
How to set ground rules that hold
- Set them before you speak, not during. Ground rules agreed mid-sentence do not cover what you already said. If you realize you need different rules partway through, stop, agree on them, and only then keep going.
- Say it in plain words and get a plain answer. “I’ll give you this on background, attributed to ‘a company spokesperson.’ Does that work?” Wait for “yes.”
- Confirm the attribution wording exactly. Do not leave “a source” open to interpretation.
- Assume you are back on the record when the specific topic ends. Ground rules usually cover a defined subject, not the whole call. When you move to a new topic, you are on the record again unless you say otherwise.
- Do not try to claw things back. “Can we make that last part off the record?” after you have said it is a request, not a rule. A reporter can say no, and a good one usually will.
The practical takeaway
Treat every word as on the record and attributable to you by name, because that is the default and it is what happens if anything is unclear. Only deviate from that when you have negotiated a specific, plainly worded exception and heard the reporter agree to it. If a piece of information would genuinely damage you if it came out under your name, the reliable protection is not a ground rule. It is not saying it.
Frequently asked questions
What does on the record mean?
Everything you say can be quoted directly and attributed to you by name and title. This is the default for every conversation with a reporter unless you both explicitly agree otherwise before you speak.
What does off the record actually mean?
The reporter cannot publish the information or use it in any form, including as something they now know. In practice, reporters treat true off the record as information they cannot act on at all. Many reporters dislike the term because it ties their hands, and some will decline to accept it.
What is on background?
The reporter can use the information but cannot attribute it to you by name. Instead they use an agreed description such as "a company spokesperson" or "a person familiar with the matter." You should agree on the exact wording of that description before you talk.
What is deep background?
The reporter can use the information to inform their reporting and their questions but cannot quote it or attribute it to any source, even an anonymous one. It shapes what they write without appearing in the story.
Can you take something back off the record after you have said it?
No. Ground rules only apply if they are agreed before you speak. Saying "that last part was off the record" after the fact is a request the reporter is free to refuse, and most will.
Do reporters and sources define these terms the same way?
Often not. "Off the record" and "on background" are the two most commonly confused. Always state what you mean in plain words ("you can use this but don't name me") and confirm the reporter agrees before you continue.
Prepping a spokesperson for a real interview? Press Prep builds the reporter brief and the likely questions, and flags where a ground-rules conversation is worth having before the call. See how to research a reporter or the full interview preparation checklist.