As a journalist, you need to be able to use quotes correctly. Generally, quotation marks are used when you want to quote someone in an article. However, quotation marks can also be used to indicate the title of a movie or book. Always follow established editorial policies when using quotation marks in articles you write.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Using Quotes with Other Punctuation
Step 1. Use single quotes when the speaker quotes someone else's statement
Quotes containing other quotes must use single quotes. This is done to indicate to the reader that the statement is not the speaker's utterance, but from another source.
- For example, don't write: "The attorney asked me "Do you agree?" Jenson said.
- The correct quotation marks for the sentence above are: "The lawyer asked me, 'Do you agree?'" Jenson said.
Step 2. End the direct quote with one punctuation mark
For example, don't write "'What a great day today!,' says Michael." In this sentence, the quotation ends with an exclamation mark and a comma. It's best to choose a comma or an exclamation point, but not both.
Step 3. Follow the defined editorial policies
Some magazines or newspapers may not follow standard quotation marks. For example, the editorial policy of the agency you work for may prefer to use italics instead of quotation marks for titles for books, movies, and TV programs. You may need to use a different punctuation mark in place of the quotes. Make sure you understand and follow the defined editorial policies when using quotes.
Step 4. Use square brackets to quote additional information
Sometimes quotes use pronouns whose meaning is not clear unless you know to whom the pronoun is being addressed. If you want to make a quote like this, you can replace the pronoun or add additional information with square brackets.
- For example, you might want to quote Bono as saying, “I think he really cares about the value of our music production.” Bono is talking about his bandmate, The Edge. When writing this quote, you might add, “I think [U2 guitarist The Edge] really cares about our band's production values.” By doing this, quotes that don't make sense at first are easier to understand because foreign pronouns are replaced with additional information.
- Alternatively, you can include pronouns in the quote, then add "I think he [The Edge guitarist U2] really cares about our group's production values."
- Do not replace square brackets with regular brackets. This will indicate that the information in parentheses is expressed directly by the speaker, not by the author.
Method 2 of 4: Quoting Others
Step 1. Use quotation marks to indicate the speaker's statement
Linking quotes to speakers is one of the functions of quotes in news articles. Make sure you quote the speaker's statement accurately. If unsure, ask the speaker to repeat the statement, or listen to the recorded interview again.
Never modify a speaker's statement
Step 2. Don't start the article with a citation
Don't open news articles with quotes. This is because citations generally cannot conclude the content of the news by itself.
- Include at least one explanatory paragraph before adding a quote from the speaker.
- If you want to add a quote, write it in the third or fourth paragraph.
- Writing citations at the beginning of articles is sometimes used in news magazine articles or in newspapers, although it is not uncommon.
Step 3. Don't use too many quotes
Quotes can make your news articles more interesting when used sparingly. Therefore, don't add too many quotes or combine them into one very long section.
-
One quote per paragraph is a good option. However, if you want to write a paragraph where most or all of the content is citation, you only need to add the source once. For example, you could write:
"Our troops are scattered at several points," said Commander Jones. "Although most of the enemy forces are in the north, they are stationing additional troops in the east, and their allies are joining forces in the west."
Step 4. Avoid partial citations
Quotation snippets should be written without quotation marks. For example, don't write: Party A is “surprised” by the number of voters ignoring it. “Surprised” is a common word and not so unique that it can be written in an indirect sentence without using quotation marks. Instead, write the sentence without quotation marks.
If there are unusual expressions, partial quotations can be used. For example: Senator Michaels was made “shocked” by his colleague's response. This choice of words is quite unique and may indicate the personality of Senator Michaels
Step 5. Understand that quotes cannot protect you from defamation
Defamation occurs when you post false and misleading information that could damage the reputation of a particular individual, group or organization. Some people believe that writing a controversial statement in quotation marks can protect the author from being sued for libel. However, this is not true.
For example, you write a sentence like this: Candidate X is a “communist” who does not deserve to be in his current position. Assuming that Candidate X is not a communist, you could be sued for libel even if the word “communist” is in quotation marks
Method 3 of 4: Customizing the Contents of the Quote
Step 1. Cite additional information as needed
Additional information is generally used to explain the context of the citation for clarity. If the quote is unclear or the context needs to be clarified because it contains idioms from a foreign language, you can include additional information using brackets within the quote. By adding an easy-to-understand translation of the idiom in the quote, you no longer need to add new sentences to explain the idiom.
- For example, you might write: “You have to be responsible, don't throw stones and hide your hands! (Doing a bad deed then pretending not to know it!)”
- Additional information also needs to be added to explain to whom the pronoun is addressed. For example, if a politician says, “This is too high,” you could revise the quote for clarity by writing, “[Taxes] are too high.” The square brackets indicate that you are adding the word “tax” to replace the pronouns spoken by the speaker.
Step 2. Clean the quote
You need to clean up the rant from the quote. Most news articles prohibit the use of harsh words. To replace an abusive word in a quote, leave out the first letter of the abusive word and replace the letters after it with a dash. For example, you might write: “This k------ campaign was designed based on lies.”
Step 3. Use ellipsis to remove unnecessary words or sentences
Sometimes, you can summarize the speaker's statement by eliminating unnecessary words or sentences. For example, if the speaker states, “We plan to continue moving in the right direction alongside allies and keeping our country safe.” If your article only focuses on national security and not diplomatic relations with other countries, you can eliminate unnecessary words by writing: “We plan to…keep our country safe.”
Be careful when using ellipsis to omit words or sentences from quotes. Make sure the meaning of the quote is still in line with the speaker's intent
Method 4 of 4: Indicating Title
Step 1. Use quotation marks to write the title of the artwork and literature
The title of the book must be enclosed in quotation marks. For example, “Catch-22”, “Jurassic Park”, and “War and Peace” must be enclosed in quotation marks. Also use quotation marks to write the title of the movie. For example, “Star Wars”, “Hannibal”, “Superman”, and other movie titles must be enclosed in quotation marks.
The titles of other works of art, such as poems, articles, chapter titles, and plays, should always be enclosed in quotation marks. For example, “Romeo and Juliet” and “Howl” are good ways to write drama titles in news articles
Step 2. Use quotation marks to write the title of the song
For example, you might be writing an article about a song like "We Will Rock You," "Just Like Heaven," or "Tonight, Tonight." You need to add quotes when quoting the song title. Don't write the band's name in quotes. Write the name of the band like writing someone's name, and make sure that it is spelled and capitalized correctly.
Step 3. Use quotation marks to write the name of the painting
For example, “Mona Lisa”, “The Persistence of Memory”, and “Nighthawks” are apt to cite the artwork. However, statues don't need to use quotes. However, the name must still be capitalized.
Tips
- Use quotes when the speaker's words have a strong meaning. If the information is general enough, you can paraphrase it.
- If you use a source that cites another source, you should find and cite a quote from the original source.
- Journalistic quotations always use the word "say" when reporting statements from speakers. Don't use other verbs, such as "reply" or "exclamation."
- Check with the editor for your organization's editorial policies.
- When writing quotes in a notebook, don't forget to add quotes. Later, when you write an article, you can easily identify the statement as a quote.
- Use a voice recorder to record your interview with the interviewee. If the interview is being conducted behind closed doors, make sure the interviewee does not mind being recorded. Mention the name of the interviewee, date, time, and location at the beginning of the interview.
- Never make up quotes. This is a deviant act.
