How to Handle Attribution in Your Stories

This post covers the topic of attribution. In any article (really any piece of writing), attribution occurs when the writer indicates the source of information in the story. That information can be facts or it can be a direct or indirect statement. But the rule of thumb for reporters is to tell the reader the source of any information in your story as soon as you can in the story.

Please read these two resources on how to handle attribution in a news story.

Attribution: Who Said What
Rules for Using Quotation

Then use the information in the article to answer these questions.

1.       As a general rule, when should a reporter attribute the details, events or activities in her story? 

2.   Why can't the general rule by applied without exception?

3.   Given this general rule, why do you think that attribution occurs so frequently in news stories

      about crimes and accidents?

4.    Where in a sentence is attribution most often placed? Why?

5.       How many speakers may be quoted in a single paragraph?  Why?

6.   Why should reporter avoid transitional phrases that begin with the phrase "When asked..."?

7.       When should attribution appear at the beginning of a sentence or paragraph?

8.       When should attribution appear at the end of a sentence or paragraph?

9.       When should attribution appear in the middle of a paragraph?

10.       What verb should you use for attributions in a news story? Why?

11.       What tense should you use for verbs that provide attribution? Why?

12.    How should speakers be identified on first reference? 

13.    How should speakers be identified on second reference?

14.       What are the rules for comma and period placement at the end of the direct quotation?

15.   What is the difference between a direct and an indirect quote? How is the attribution for each handled differently?

16.  In an attribution tag, what most often comes first: the speaker or the attribution word?

17.  When is it appropriate to put the attribution word before the speaker?

18.    Given the reporter’s notes below, compose the following paragraph in proper journalistic style.

Speaker: Coach Ed Hullender

Direct statement: “I’m proud of each and every person on this team”

19.  Given the reporter’s notes below, compose the following paragraph in proper journalistic style.

Speaker: junior Laura Duke

Descriptive phrase: the only Wheeler High student to audition who is not currently on the dance team

Direct statement: “Dancing in the Super Bowl will be a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

20.  Given the reporter’s notes below, compose the following paragraph in proper journalistic style.

Speaker: Coach Steve Lattizori

Direct statement: “They’re not real wrestlers, and I think it actually hurts the sport.  I wish they would change their name from wrestling to acting.”

Indicate whether or not following quotations are attributed correctly or incorrectly. 

If they are incorrect, state why they are incorrect.

21.    Coach Lattizori [second reference] called WWF and WCW wrestlers “giant steroid guys acting.  I wish they would change their name from wrestling to acting.”

22.    “We sometimes have a hard time mentally, and it takes us until the end of the game to get fired up,” sophomore Jessica Moran said. [first reference]

23.    “We need to fight,” said senior Wesley Heath. [first reference]

24.    Mr. Lebow [second reference, new speaker, indirect quote] said relief workers have two kinds of identification: one has a hologram of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority seal, which is considered difficult to reproduce.

25.    “Dance team has taught me a lot about determination.  There have been days when I have felt too tired to go to practice, but I love it so much, nothing could keep me away,” Nixon said.  [second reference]

26.    “More than anything, I just look forward to being able to say that I performed in the opening act of the Super Bowl in the year 2000”,  McKinney said. [second reference]