system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why aren't news stations (local, national, international) required to cite sources?

All (or most, I skimmed) of these responses seem reasonable and logical.  I know it would be difficult if not impossible to do so without imposing on freedom of speech, but it just seems there must be some way to be able to verify information and a simple, truthful, immutable way which cannot be manipulated or corrupted.  I feel there is a technology waiting to be discovered..  maybe it's just hopeless optimism.  But then again, innovations have been doing what was once thought impossible time and again, and since history is bound to repeat itself.. well. One can hope, for the sanity of humanity (rhyme intended) 

Thanks for all the input!
gpt
One reason that news reporters (be they text or video) are not required to cite sources is that doing so can result in the firing, the arrest, or even the execution of the people who are their sources. Journalists take protecting these sources very seriously.