Newsweek's chairman, in a letter to readers, says the news magazine is going to make it harder impossible for reporters to get the phrase "sources said" into print:

We will raise the standards for the use of anonymous sources throughout the magazine. Historically, unnamed sources have helped to break or advance stories of great national importance, but overuse can lead to distrust among readers and carelessness among journalists. As always, the burden of proof should lie with the reporters and their editors to show why a promise of anonymity serves the reader. From now on, only the editor or the managing editor, or other top editors they specifically appoint, will have the authority to sign off on the use of an anonymous source.

He adds: "The cryptic phrase 'sources said' will never again be the sole attribution for a story in NEWSWEEK."

Since this is coming from a magazine owned by The Washington Post company, which turned the moniker "Deep Throat" from a porno title into a journalistic milestone, it seems to be pretty historic.