Attribution

1. Attribution Week 4

2. Attribution • Why use quotes in your stories? • Add credibility • Add color • Direct quotes are personal • Quote marks tell the reader that something special is coming • [Don’t disappoint them]

3. Attribution • What goes between those quotation marks? • The kernel of the comment in the speaker’s own words • Striking statements • Something significant • Dialogue that “shows rather than tells” • Quotes are for reaction and interpretation, not facts

4. Attribution • Someone says something unique • You’ve never heard it said that way before • Clever • Colorful • Colloquial

5. Attribution • Someone important says something important • Adds credibility • Adds interest

6. Attribution • Accuracy • Exact words • Verify • Just because it is a quote doesn’t release you from making sure it is correct. • People lie • People mislead on purpose

7. Attribution • Paraphrasing • Clarify speaker’s statements • Rephrase more clearly, usually with fewer words • Paraphrases must be attributed, but they do not get quote marks. • The speaker’s comments in your words

8. Attribution • Partial quotes • Better to paraphrase than to use partial quotes • Use with phrases of special significance • “evil empire” • “axis of evil”

9. Attribution • Partial quotes • Ellipses (. . . ) • Readers are suspicious of what you omitted • Easy to take things out of context and change the meaning

10. Attribution • Dialect or Accent • Don’t • Exceedingly difficult to do effectively • Can carry unintended prejudices

11. Attribution • Correcting quotes • Should you? • Grammar • Usually correct it • Equal treatment

12. Attribution • Remove redundancies • Paraphrase is your best bet • Delete obscenity, profanity and vulgarity • Must be a compelling reason to use them, even in a direct quote.

13. Attribution • Avoid made up quotes • Paraphrase • PR exceptions

14. Attribution • When to attribute • Always on direct quotes • Should be attributed to a person (a name) • Avoid “authorities,” “officials,” “sources” • Always when the statement expresses an opinion

15. Attribution • You DO NOT need to attribute: • Items that are public record • Generally known information • Information available from several sources • Information that is easily verifiable • Information that makes no assumptions • Information that contains no opinions • Noncontroversial information

16. Attribution • Use “said or “says” • “said” for past events • If the source may not say the same thing again now • “says” for coming events • If the source is likely to say the same thing now • Whichever one you use, be consistent through the story

17. Attribution • Where does the attribution go? • In a multiple-sentence direct quote, it goes at the end of the first sentence. • Put attribution first only if it is necessary to help the audience be clear on who is being quoted. • Don’t follow a fragment quote with a continuing quote that is a complete sentence

18. Attribution • Source identification • The first time a source is quoted, include full identification • College Station Mayor Larry Ringer • Can break long or detailed identification information into multiple segments if there is only one source quoted.

19. Put the person’s name or the personal pronoun before “says” or “said.” • If the identification is long, you may put the “says” or “said” first • Do not attribute direct quotes to more than one person

20. Attribution • Off the record • Information may not be used • Not for attribution • May use the information but without attribution • Deep background • May use the information, but not indicate any source