Usually Reliable Source…..
‘Based upon communication with a usually reliable source…’
Note the clever use of usually. They are telling you that this may not be reliable. There is no detail about the nature of the communciation and they will not divulge the source. In short, this may be pure crap.
(Anyone know what pure crap is before it is purified? Come to think of it, I am not familiar with the purification process either. Most of the stinky stuff I step in is ordinary crap.)
A more realistic opening statement might be, ‘Based on our need to sell news, attract advertisers, and boost our ratings we offer you this cow patty’.