Quotes and Attributions3Use the quotes and attribution rules in .docx

Quotes and Attributions3
Use the quotes and attribution rules in the Newsgathering and
Interviewing lecture in your Course Resources to help you
correct these sentences.
For each change you make, and for each decision that you make
to leave a sentence alone, you must explain the rule that you
applied using the rules listed in the Newsgathering and
Interviewing lecture in the Course Resources.
1. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the tax credits
available under the 2010 health-care law may be provided only
to residents of states that set up their own marketplaces.
Revision:
Explanation:
2. Michael Bociurkiw, a spokesman for the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, said Tuesday in Donetsk
that 290 was “the last number [of bodies] we were told” had
been recovered. “We had no possible way to verify that count.”
Revision:
Explanation:
3. “When it rains, it spores”, said Susan Kosisky, chief
microbiologist with the U.S. Centralized Allergen Extract
Laboratory in Silver Spring.
Revision:
Explanation:
4. When questioned about the slow recovery of the bodies,
Borodai said the separatists were eager for the victims to be
removed quickly from the debris field.

Revision:
Explanation:
5. “We’ll never go back to the slow death. Our demands are fair
and they are humane,” Haniyeh said. “Our people have
decided.”
Revision:
Explanation:
6. “I will tell you this,” Perry argued, his voice growing louder.
“If the federal government does not do its constitutional duty to
secure the southern border of the United States, the state of
Texas will do it!”
Revision:
Explanation:
7. “All the basement doors were pad-locked, key-cylinder
locked, or blocked by boards uh plywood,” the firefighter said.
Revision:
Explanation:
8. We are aware of his arrest in Prince William County and are
cooperating fully with the police investigation there, said a
spokeswoman for the Arlington County police. Mr. Silva has
been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the
outcome of the investigation.
Revision:
Explanation:
9. The Hamas leader said Hamas fighters would not put down
their weapons until Israel and Egypt agree to open border

crossings, ease travel and the flow of goods, and free prisoners
who were jailed after the killing of the Jewish teenagers in the
West Bank last month.
Revision:
Explanation:
10. Verduzco, 32, who lived at the shelter between the ages of 6
and 24, believes the home’s founder was tough but fair. “If she
hadn’t been, she couldn’t have controlled us,” he said.
Revision:
Explanation:
NEWSGATHERING AND INTERVIEWING
Backgrounding the News
Newsgathering Techniques
Interview Techniques
The Open-ended Question
Other Types of Questions
When To Use Quotes
Key Quotation and Attribution Rules
Journalists do not write stories based on information they
already know. Nor do they write articles based solely on library
or Internet research. In fact, the bulk of the information
contained in any news story is collected through interviews with
people who have some knowledge of the subject. We call this
“backgrounding the news.”
If the story is about a house fire, the journalist will interview
the fire chief, the person who owns the house and neighbors
who saw the fire. If the story is about tuition increases at the
University of Maryland, the reporter will interview the campus
president or bursar, a member of the state legislative committee
that oversees the university, students who will be affected by

the increase and maybe a parent who pays for a student to
attend the college.
Nowhere in the article will the journalist offer an opinion or
perspective, or write information that he or she believes to be
"general knowledge." Instead, the reporter does just what the
name suggests: reports.
While reporters familiarize themselves with the topic of their
articles by reading other stories on the same topic and books or
company-generated press information that might give them a
good grounding in the subject, none of that is what's considered
"original research."
Original research is what the reporter learns that nobody else
has written yet--inside information that only a source close to
the subject can offer; the perspective of an expert source who
has studied the topic for a long time; the educated predictions
of an industry observer. This kind of information is available
only "from the horse's mouth," so to speak. That is, the reporter
must ask questions of people with knowledge of the subject and
then interject the answers into the story.
It's rare when a journalist quotes another article or book in a
newspaper article. To do so is to admit to the reader that the
reporter couldn't dig up the information firsthand. That's
embarrassing. Always do your own research--and that means
doing lots of interviews.
This is where some would-be journalists hop off the train. Lots
of people are too timid to call strangers on the phone, walk up
to them in the hallway outside of a courtroom or approach them
on the street. But that's what journalists have to do--all day
long. They approach strangers and ask them to share lots of
information. They ask the strangers to spend time explaining
things. They elicit opinions--some of which might be very
personal--that will later appear in print for the world to see. For
some writers, that's too invasive. Those writers do not become
journalists.
Journalists need guts. They need to develop a thick skin because
sometimes those strangers tell the reporters to get lost (or

worse!). Some sources do not want to be interviewed. Some
don't want to talk to certain reporters but will grant interviews
to others. Some have things to hide and don't want a reporter on
their tails. The journalist, however, cannot take no for an
answer. If the source is the only person who can provide a
definitive viewpoint or answer, then the journalist must persist
in getting that source to talk.
Sounds like journalists are pests. Well ... sometimes they have
to be. That doesn't make them very popular with some of their
sources. But remember this: The journalist's job is to inform the
public about things that the public has a right to know. That's a
weighty responsibility, and not one that the reporter can shrug
off just because a source is trying to dodge him.
BACKGROUNDING THE NEWS
News sources typically include:
· Stored
· traditional, text-based research
· Observational
· gathered personal experience
· Personal
· from talking to people
Three factors will affect how many sources you need for a
story:
· Expertise
· The individual’s breadth of knowledge.
· The more individual sources know about the subject, the fewer
you will need to talk to.
· Controversy
· The degree of controversy or room for bias.
· When a topic is controversial or driven by ideology, talk to
more sources to make sure you have all points of view.
· Complexity
· The more complex or ambitious the story, the more interviews,
kinds of information and points of view will be needed.
NEWSGATHERING TECHNIQUES
To better understand how journalists gather facts, please review

this five-minute video on basic reporting tactics from The
Washington Post's Bob Woodward:
The facts of a news story should not be based on information
from one source. Every claim of fact should be verified several
times and attributed. This helps ensure the information is
accurate, one of the ABCs of news writing.
To help you get your facts straight, try this portal to some key
fact-checking Web sites that professional journalists
use: https://sites.google.com/a/cfsd16.org/cfhs-
library/home/fact-checking-sites .
Remember, credibility is our currency.
INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES
Interviews are the backbone to this newsgathering. The
prerequisite to a good interview is good listening skills. You
cannot be thinking about your next question when your source is
speaking! To control the interview, you must concentrate on
your source:
· listening for meaning so that you can evaluate and sort what is
being said on three levels even as it’s being said, and
· listening for what isn’t said, so that you can follow-up.
Listen on one level for facts, on another forgood quotes, and on
a third level for elaboration and substantiation. You need to be
thinking, is the source making a point clearly and supporting it?
Do I understand the point? If not, ask the source to repeat,
elaborate or define the meaning. When you are listening for
meaning, you can direct the interview instead of letting the
source control it.
Therefore, always prepare a list of key questions in
advance. You will feel and act more confidently when you are
approaching strangers for the man-in-the-street interviews, for
example, and be able listen more acutely at your meetings.
THE OPEN-ENDED QUESTION
To get responses that are quotable, ask questions that are open
ended. Avoid asking anything that could draw a yes/no
response.

If you ask someone a question that she can answer with a one-
word answer, you'll get a one-word answer. That won't do you
any good when you sit down to write.
Do you think the government should fund a jobs creation
program?
Yes. And because that's all you asked me, I won't elaborate.
What should the government change to deal with U.S.
joblessness?
Everything. And because that's all you asked me, that's all I'm
going to say.
These are called "closed-ended questions." Closed-ended
questions can be answered with a yes, a no or a single answer.
They don't ask the source to elaborate or say "why." And unless
you need specific information, they're not useful questions to
ask because they don't produce answers you can use in your
story. They surely don't produce colorful quotations.
A better question is an "open-ended" question. An open-ended
question is one that allows the source to "think out loud." It
invites the source to wax poetic, ramble on, offer perspective,
give opinions. Those kinds of responses are the ones that will
reap you good material for your story.
What do you think about the debate over funding a new jobs
creation program?
What do you think about the proposals from members of
Congress to raise taxes and cut government spending in order to
stimulate the economy instead of spending more money on a
jobs creation program?
What do you think about proposals from members of Congress
to cut corporate taxes to stimulate corporate re-investment in
business development to stimulate the economy instead of
spending more money on a jobs creation program?
These open-ended questions are the type that force sources to
answer in paragraphs rather than in single words. From those
paragraphs, you will get good quotes, perspective and the right
angle for your story.
So as you work on your police story sidebars, your man-in-the-

street interviews and your pre-meeting research, skip the yes-or-
no questions and the ones that allow sources to get away with
giving you one-word answers. Ask your sources open-ended
questions, especially at the beginning of the interview.
OTHER TYPES OF QUESTIONS
Journalists use a variety of approaches to obtain as much
information as possible before they begin writing. Here are
some stock questions:
Basic/to get basic facts:
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Explanation/to get reasons behind previous answers:
How would you change the situation?
Explanation/to widen the scope of the interview:
What other options need to be considered?
Explanation/to get new information:
How would you do this?
Justification/to question established ideas:
Why do you believe this?
Justification/to understand the reasoning of the source:
How do you know that?
Can you prove that?
Suggestive/to introduce an idea by someone else:
Could you consider the idea suggested by …?
Suggestive/to bring up a new idea:
What would happen if…?
Choice/to get a definite answer from the source:
Which proposal do you favor?
What do you think of…?

Chronological/to ensure understanding of a process:
What is the next step?
You will need to take copious notes while you are interviewing
your sources or sitting at your meeting. You need to write down
everything relevant or colorful that was said, word for word. In
fact, if you didn't get it word for word, you can't use it in your
story! You can't fill in the blanks afterward. You can't try to
remember what the person said. You have to know itand be able
to prove it should the source challenge you. The only proof you
have is what you've written in your notebook.
Make up the fastest shorthand you can develop and still read.
Buy a reporter's notebook at an office supply store--they're
smaller than steno pads and allow for quicker note-taking. Use a
tape recorder if you want, but don't rely on it. Take notes at the
same time. I can tell you from painful experience that tape
recorders will fail you at the most inconvenient of moments. If
you don't have notes to back up a blank tape, you'll be in huge
trouble come deadline day.
Once you’ve finished your interviews or left your meeting, you
will need to whittle those pages and pages of notes into a short,
matter-of-fact article:
· Read all of your notes. Using a colored highlighter, mark the
most relevant, important and interesting things each source said.
These are the points you will make in your story. It will break
your heart to leave so much unused information in your
notebook, but you'll have to do it. Only the news makes it into
the paper.
· Outline our story. Remember, you're using inverted pyramid
style. Figure out what the most important information you
learned is; use that in your lead. Then order the rest of the facts
according to importance.
· For each fact, determine whether the source has said
something that backs it up, clarifies it or offers a compelling
perspective about it. If so, include that information in the story
right after you have made the point.

A word of caution about email interviews
Sometimes, a source will agree to answer your questions only
via email. Try to talk her out of that.
While email is a great tool for making initial contact with
sources, setting up appointments to meet or call for an interview
and even asking follow-up questions, emailing is not an
effective way to conduct the interview itself.
Here’s why:
1. For starters, you don’t really know if the person who e-mails
you the responses to your questions is the one who wrote those
answers. If you send your questions to the president of a
company, for instance, it’s very likely that he will route them to
a member of his public relations staff, who will compose the
answers for the president to return to you. So you won’t be
getting your information from the person you wanted to talk to.
And if you quote from those responses, you won’t technically
be using the words of the person you attribute the quotes to.
2. You are unlikely to get spontaneous responses, and you’re
unlikely to get responses that sound conversational. When
people compose their responses in writing rather than
discussing their answers with you in a conversation, they
choose different, more careful words that often sound more like
they came from a report or a textbook than from someone’s
mouth. That kind of response makes for stilted, boring
quotations.
3. You can’t ask for immediate clarification of something that
you don’t quite understand. Sure, you can e-mail again later, but
the moment has passed. You can’t “call” the source on
something that seems off to you.
4. You will find yourself “reading between the lines” because
not everyone writes clearly. It’s very easy to make assumptions
or to misread what someone has written. When the information
comes via a discussion, it’s much easier to “hear” inflections,
emotion and even lies. It’s much easier to say, “Do you
mean…” to get clarification.
WHEN TO USE QUOTES

You can use quotes in three ways:
· You can write the quote word for word, just as the source said
it. That's called a direct quote. Direct quotes always appear
inside of quotation marks. You must attribute every direct quote
to the person who said it. You may not change any words in a
direct quote. If you didn't get the quote word for word, you may
not put it in quotation marks.
· You may also use partial quotes. If you got most of the words
but not all, you can put the words you know in quotation marks
and finish the sentence using your own words. The part of the
sentence that is in your own words does not go inside the
quotation marks. The sentence still gets attributed to the source
who said it.
· Finally, you may paraphrase a quote. This means you explain
what the person said using your own words, not the source's.
You do not put quotation marks around paraphrased quotes, but
you do attribute them to the source. This is an important rule. A
paraphrased quote reflects not what was said, but what the
reporter said was said. Big difference! We rephrase direct
quotes in our own words to capture the essence of what the
source said when the source’s own words are not clear, when
the terminology is too technical, when the remarks are too long,
etc. Paraphrased material does not get placed in quotation marks
nor can paraphrase be turned back into a quote. They are not the
exact words of the source. Never, ever place quotation marks
around something that you don't know for sure came out of
someone's mouth word for word.
A person's words are not subject to a writer's interpretation. Do
not change words in direct quotations, even if the grammar is
bad. If the quote is crucial to the story but is not clear, a
reporter may alter it in one of the following three ways:
· Paraphrase the quote. The writer may paraphrase by removing
the quotation marks.
Original quote:"This vase is an older than, much older, version
of the one in the museum," he said.
Paraphrase: He said his vase is an older version of the one in

the museum.
· Use ellipses (three periods) to indicate that words have been
left out.
Ellipses:"This vase is an older ... version of the one in the
museum," he said.
· Use brackets to add words of clarification.
Brackets: "This vase is an older ... version of the [Ming vase] in
the museum," he said.
To recap:
· Direct quotes and partial quotes are placed inside of quotation
marks and attributed to the source.
· Paraphrased material does not get placed within quotation
marks but it must be attributed to the speaker. You should
paraphrase quotes that are obvious, confusing, or full of jargon.
In addition, you should rely on quotations sparingly. They are
best used when the source says something so eloquently that it
could not be better put by the writer (for example, the
Gettysburg Address); when the speaker's exact wording is what
makes the news (for example, "I did not have sexual relations
with that woman, Miss Lewinsky"); or when the wording reveals
something important about the speaker (for example, "Winning
is not everything," Lombardi said. "It's the only thing.").
KEY QUOTATION AND ATTRIBUTION RULES
We use direct quotes when
· Someone says something unique.
· Someone says something uniquely.
· Someone important says something important.
Quotes should be useful, informative and move a story forward.
But quotes have to be in context, so there needs to be narrative
between them. This is how you avoid “stacking” quotes one
after another, too.
What was said generally is more important than who said it. For
this reason, we usually place attribution at the end of the
sentence. We place attribution after the first sentence of a
multi-sentence quote. But if your story contains lots of quotes,
vary the attribution structures (within the rules, of course).

In general, it is better for reporters to paraphrase sources
because journalists are professional communicators and the
sources are not. A poorly framed statement should be
paraphrased, not corrected.
For that matter, ellipses should be used sparingly, such as to
indicate when an obscenity, profanity or vulgarity has been
removed. Most news outlets consider such words offensive or
gratuitous.
Finally, accurate note-taking must be followed by accurate
transcription. A paraphrase is a quote summarized in the
reporter’s own words. Therefore, it’s no longer an exact replica
of what was spoken and can’t be turned back into a direct
quote if your notes don’t indicate the words came directly from
your source.
The following are some key rules for using quotes:
· Put commas and periods inside the quotation marks.
Right:
"Read my lips," President Bush said.
Wrong:
"Read my lips", President Bush said.
· Attribute every quotation to the source, even if it's obvious
who said it.
Right:
Here in the United States, Zeishan Fatima, a Pakistan refugee,
grapples with the issues that come with her new lifestyle. "I
really feel the absence of an extended family," she said.
Wrong:
Here in the United States, Zeishan Fatima, a Pakistani refugee,
grapples with the issues that come with her new lifestyle. "I
really feel the absence of an extended family."
· Place attribution after the first sentence of a multi-sentence
quote. Attribute each quote only once.
Right:
"I love the independence and freedom I find here," said Delrine
Alvis, a 42-year-old immigrant from Sri Lanka. "I love being
my own boss. I love living on my own."

Wrong:
"I love the independence and freedom I find here. I love being
my own boss. I love living on my own," said Delrine Alvis, a
42-year-old immigrant from Sri Lanka.
· Report only what people said, not how they feel or what they
believe.
Right:
Lorraine Hamilton, 38, said she probably would have divorced
her husband even in her native Bangladesh.
Wrong:
Lorraine Hamilton, 38, feels she would have divorced her
husband even in her native Bangladesh.
· Objects and institutions cannot speak. It's better to attribute
actions and announcements to people.
Right:
University of Maryland officials canceled classes today because
of the snow.
Wrong:
The University of Maryland canceled classes today because of
the snow.
· Do not put quotations around anything that is not a direct
quote. Do not use quotation marks to emphasize a word or
phrase. Putting quotation marks around jargon does nothing to
explain what a term means.
Right:
Vice President Al Gore said the Information Superhighway, the
worldwide network of computers that includes the Internet, is
already larger than he expected it ever would be.
Wrong:
Vice President Al Gore said the "Information Superhighway" is
already larger than he expected it ever would be. Putting
quotation marks around jargon does nothing to explain what it
means.
· Avoid repeating the reporter's questions in a story; just write
the answers.
Right:

Washington homeowner Ann Meyer said Mayor Marion Barry's
re-election would send her "to look for a house in the suburbs."
Wrong:
When asked what she thought of Mayor Marion Barry's re-
election, Washington resident Ann Meyer told a reporter, "I'm
going to look for a house in the suburbs."
· Identify every source on first reference by using first name,
last name, and some description.
Right:
Mary Atwater, who works for a London lawyer, hired the
professor to do a freelance job.
Wrong:
Mary Atwater hired the professor to do a freelance job.
· Use simple words of attribution. Said, added, and noted are
the most acceptable.
Right:
"This is the hardest class I've taken so far," said Roy Nelson, a
sophomore.
Wrong:
"This is the hardest class I've taken so far," grimaced Roy
Nelson, a sophomore.
To learn the final rules of effective quotes and attribution,
complete this Quotes & Attributions Self-Test.
Information does not need to be attributed to a source if you are
a witness or if the information:
· Is a matter of public record.
· Is generally known.
· Is available from several sources.
· Is easily verifiable.
· Makes no assumptions.
· Contains no opinions.
· Is noncontroversial.
When confronted with ethical dilemmas in your pursuing your
story, such as when and what to quote, consider the
consequences. The general criteria for pushing your way into a
story are:

n What is the objective of my story?
n Who will be hurt, and how many?
n Who will be helped, and how many?
n Will my decision to pursue this story contribute to the reason
for writing the story?
KEY POINTS
· Use quotes sparingly. Choose quotes that say it better than you
could write it. These are rare because you are a writer and most
likely choose your words more carefully than any of your
sources.
· Use quotes to add color to a story. If somebody has a great
personality, it shows in her quotations. Use quotes that are
funny, compelling, shocking or interesting. Leave the duds in
your notebook.
· Don't repeat quotes. Once a source says something, don't use
any more quotes from other sources who said the same thing.
· Don't stack quotes. Avoid running paragraph after paragraph
of quotes. Remember: You're the writer. The quotes are there to
supplement your writing, not the other way around.
· Don't make fun of a person's accent or dialect (i.e., you
wouldn't quote a Southerner saying, "I'm goin' fishin'." You'd
write: "I'm going fishing.") Likewise, don't clean up quotes to
make the source sound better; if someone uses poor grammar or
even bad language, leave it in the quote.
· Avoid offensive words. If it's too offensive or hard to
understand, paraphrase the quote in your own words and leave
the quotation marks off. (Most newspapers do not print swear
words. They paraphrase or use this format: "My teacher is a
crazy b----!" he said.) In other words, spell words correctly,
even if the source mispronounces them, but do not edit the
source's grammar.
###

Quotes and Attributions3Use the quotes and attribution rules in .docx

Quotes and Attributions3Use the quotes and attribution rules in .docx

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