Quotes and Attribution

1. Quotes and Attribution

2. Whom should you quote? • Experts: Doctors, researchers, academics, business people • Officials: Police, government • Real people: Those affected by the news • Documents: Polls, studies, statistics

3. Three kinds of quotes • Direct quotes • “Without this time, (professional development) would have come kind of hit or miss -- after school, during lunch or teacher prep time,” Wea Ridge Principal Cory Marshall said. • Paraphrases • Coordinator Richard Richardson said Tippecanoe Adult Guardianship Services will help adults who need temporary or long-term assistance with personal, financial or health needs that they cannot handle on their own. • Partial quotes • That training session was one way the school is using the 30-minute “instructional improvement block” that Tippecanoe School Corp. elementary and middle schools implemented this fall.

4. When to Attribute • Almost always attribute direct and indirect quotes and information obtained from documents • You do not have to attribute if the information: • is a matter of public record • is generally known • is available from several sources • makes no assumptions • contains no opinions • is noncontroversial • you were a witness • Avoid attributing factual statements to "officials," "authorities," or "sources" • WHEN YOU HAVE DOUBTS, ATTRIBUTE!!!

5. Quote Grammar Tips • The quote format: • "The play lifted my spirits on a cold day," Jane Natt said. • Put attribution for quote at the end • Bad:Jane Natt said, "The play lifted my spirits on a cold day.” • Place the attribution after the first sentence in a quote • Don’t break up a one-sentence quotes with the attribution • “I have learned,” she said, “that politicians can’t be trusted.” • Put name first, then said, unless adding identifying material after name

6. Quote Grammar Tips • Put commas and periods inside quotation marks • Question marks and other punctuation marks go within quotation marks if referring to the quoted material; otherwise they go outside • When continuing a quote from one speaker into another paragraph, don’t use closing quotation marks after the first paragraph • Quotes within quotes take a single quote mark

7. Quote Grammar Tips • When paraphrasing, separate said or the speaker's name from the rest of the sentence only if attribution is at the end. Do not separate attribution from rest of sentence in a paraphrase if attribution is at the start • Example: Today is a nice day, said John Smith.  • Example: John Smith said today is a nice day. • However, always use a comma with according to. • Example: According to Jones, the day will be nice. • Example: The day will be nice, according to Jones.

8. Quote Grammar Tips • In general, quotes get their own paragraph. Break up long quotes into two paragraphs • Use said -- It's neutral, no connotations • The first time you attribute a direct or indirect quote, identify the speaker fully • The second time you refer to a source in a story, use only a last name • When a person’s title is before a name, capitalize it and don’t set it off with commas. • “Elon Mayor Jeff Smith” • If after, don’t capitalize and do set of with commas, “Jeff Smith, the Elon mayor,”

9. Quote Grammar Tips • Do not attribute direct quotes to more than one person, i.e., witnesses said • Don't put factual information into quotes • Limit the use of partial quotes • The quote has to add something to story • Something unique or said uniquely, that you could have obtained only from them