Information & the record
attribution
Naming where information came from. On the record means the source can be named; on background and off the record place limits agreed in advance.
In full
On the record permits full identification. On background usually allows a description such as a senior administration official. Deep background permits the information without any sourcing. Off the record means it cannot be published at all. These terms are conventions rather than law, and their exact meaning is negotiated between reporter and source.
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Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.