Didn't know where to ask this question about leaks.
Do people drop leaks when they feel it's appropriate? or when the source wants them to drop a leak? I'm always curious at the circumstances of leaks
I've explored this question in several of the articles I've written on Source Gaming. I also have the experience of reporting rumors/ leaks personally, and I've been avid reader of them since the N64 days.
Basically it's a mixture of a lot of factors, some that you already mentioned. What I found is people leak for different reasons. Some people leak because they are genuinely excited for the project, and want to share information they heard / working on. Others do it so they can raise their profile, and try to get access to other information / leaks. Sometimes sources will ask things to be leaked because of company politics: maybe they want to test the public's reaction to an idea, or there were major disagreements/ drama within the company. Lastly, there might be a train of passing information: a friend heard from their buddy who has a friend that is working on something. As we know from that song: Everybody Talks.
As a reporter of leaks/ rumors you have to really consider where the source is coming from, and their rational for leaking the information BEFORE reporting on it.
The most important job is to try to validate the authenticity of the information outside of the source. I feel a lot of new reporters/ journalists kind of jump the gun with reporting leaks because they feel "special" and don't actually investigate the rumor/ leak before releasing it to the public. I've had instances where people have told me information that I've almost released, but after taking a step back and thinking critically about it, I decided it was counter intuitive to what I expected or the proof just wasn't there. I'm glad I did as some of the information was straight up false.
So if you are reading this and are interested in getting into the business or rumors/ leaks (or already in it), I'd offer this piece of advice: patience is a virtue. And always protect your source, or else people will get fired for your negligence and you will be out of the rumor reporting business because no one will trust you.
This is why I'm far more likely to trust leaks/ rumors from people who have significant experience in the field because they generally have a good track record of being able to separate the truth from fiction.
I think this thread is a fantastic idea and sorry for derailing the talk a bit. I thought adding my two cents on why people leak might be a worthwhile contribution to what is already an amazing thread.