Quotes are an essential part of every news article. Quotes should say something the interviewer can’t say. They are there to express opinions. You can also use them to describe someone’s feelings. Above all, they should be interesting and enhance the story. They must also be attributed to the speaker’s full name and title. Here’s how to add quotes to a news article (but before you do that, check out our guide to structuring a news article first):
Getting the Quotes
You need to use quotes because it shows authority, gives evidence from eyewitnesses and offers first person accounts. Make sure you take great notes when interviewing sources. Ask permission to use a recorder as well. Whilst you should get as many quotes as possible, use them when the source says something especially important or unusual. Look for something that reflects emotion or reflects their personality.
Types of Quotes
Quotes avoid editorialising so you’re not just writing about what you think. There are generally three types of quotes; direct quotes, where the exact words are used, partial quotes, where a few words or key phrases are placed in quote marks, and finally indirect or paraphrased quotes, where reporters use their own words to reword or summarise what a source said. Quotes can be paraphrased if using the whole quote would be too complex or unclear to the reader. Regardless, unless your story is an interview, use quotes sparingly.
Using the Quotes
Set up the quote by summarising what the quote is about to say, without saying those exact words, then using it. Attribute the quote by doing either ‘Who, said What’ (often used on radio and tv), or ‘What, said Who’ (used in written form). Avoid personification by attributing quotes to people only and not organisations, groups, buildings or other inanimate objects. Avoid editorialising, e.g. don’t say ‘the gunman acted in self defence’ instead say ‘the gunman said he acted in self defence’. Always use ‘said’ instead of other verbs such as ‘cried’ or ‘shouted’. If a quote is longer than a sentence, then the quote should be attributed to the person after one sentence, before continuing after. Finally never change a quote.