If he's a spokesman, name him dammit

Been away for a bit and lots to catch up on, but let me start with a bit of a rant. From an AP story today:

A spokesman for Level Global confirmed that FBI searched the firm's offices.

"We can confirm that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation visited our offices this morning as part of what we believe to be a broader investigation of the financial services industry discussed in media reports over the weekend," the spokesman said in a statement. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities and, at the same time, we are fully operational and continue to work diligently for the benefit of our investors."

Diamondback portfolio manager Andrea Feinstein declined to comment about the search. A spokesman for the Securities and Exchange Commission did not respond to requests for comment.

Well, dammit, if the person is a spokesman for Level Global, then why won't you use the person's name?

Either he's a spokesman or an official speaking on condition of anonymity. You can't have it both ways, even though the AP and more than a few Washington media types seem to think you can.

(The SEC spokesman gets a pass for now - give him more of a chance to comment. But at some point, if he does not -- and if you were directing the question to a specific person -- then that person ought to be named. And certainly if he won't comment, he should be named.)