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Interviewing and Quoting

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Unattributed: Acting in self-defense, the Pokfulam-based police officer shot the ... officer said he was acting in self-defense when he shot the teen three times. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Interviewing and Quoting


1
Interviewing and Quoting
  • News Reporting and Writing Workshop
  • Journalism and Media Studies Centre
  • The University of Hong Kong
  • Gene Mustain

2
Types of Questions
  • Closed-end Just the facts, please. Usually best
    for breaking stories.
  • --how many children in the minibus were injured?
  • --was the driver arrested?
  • --will he be charged?

3
Types of Questions.
  • Open-ended To draw people out, to get
    amplification and explanation. Usually best for
    profiles, features.
  • --whats it like being chief executive?
  • --what did you like about Liverpool?
  • --what factors will determine whether you will
    seek a second term?

4
Attribution
  • Attribute information to people, documents or
    publications, not places or institutions.
  • Incorrect The immigration department said the
    exemption was denied.
  • Correct A spokesman for the immigration
    department said the exemption was denied.

5
Statements Requiring Attribution
  • The statement is controversial.
  • Unattributed Direct election of legislators will
    enable Hong Kong to achieve real democracy.
  • Attributed Human rights advocate Chew Wing said
    direct election of legislators will enable Hong
    Kong to achieve real democracy.

6
Statements Requiring Attribution
  • The statement is an opinion.
  • Unattributed The Immigration Department employs
    lowly skilled people who cant find jobs
    elsewhere.
  • Attributed Human rights advocate Chew Wing said
    the Immigration Department employs lowly skilled
    people who cant find jobs elsewhere.

7
Statements Requiring Attribution
  • The statement is a direct or indirect quote.
  • Unattributed The media is guilty of a double
    standard in its coverage of the students.
  • Attributed The media is guilty of a double
    standard in its coverage of the students,
    Secretary for Security Regina Ip said.

8
Statements Requiring Attribution
  • The statement assigns blame, or suggests an
    explanation some may dispute.
  • Unattributed Acting in self-defense, the
    Pokfulam-based police officer shot the teen three
    times in the head.
  • Attributed The Pokfulam-based police officer
    said he was acting in self-defense when he shot
    the teen three times.

9
Attributive Words
  • Attributive words are accurate, impartial.
  • It is hard to beat said.
  • Some writers try with comment, reply,
    declare, add, explain, state, point
    out, and many others, but each of these has a
    specific meaning. The use of the word must
    reflect the sources meaning.

10
Attributive Words
  • Explain is often misused.
  • Yes He explained that people new to Hong Kong
    may suffer physical illness because their body is
    unaccustomed to coping with pollutants called
    respirable suspended particulates.
  • No The pollution experts will speak at noon in
    the Ming Wah complex, he explained.

11
Attributive Words
  • Avoid hope, feel, believe, and want. You
    only know what your sources tell you, not what
    they hope, feel or believe.
  • Sources speak words -- they do not grin,
    smile or laugh words.
  • Yes Chew smiled as he shook Wings hand.
  • No Nice to meet you, Wing, Chew smiled.

12
Attributive Words
  • Avoid attributive words like claimed or
    admitted, unless their specific meaning applies
    to the situation.
  • Claimed casts doubt on someones words.
  • Admitted implies the source is confessing to
    something.

13
Attributive Words
  • What do the following have in common?
  • Made it clear that further stated that.
  • Went on to say that let it be known that.
  • Also pointed out that emphasized the fact that.
  • Stated in the report that said he feels that.
  • Brought out the idea that.

14
Attributive Words
  • All can replaced by either said or added.

15
Attribution
  • Attribution can come at the beginning or the end
    of a sentence, or at a natural break within it.
  • Yes I shall return, Wing said.
  • No I shall, Wing said, return.

16
Attribution
  • Here is an example of where it is good to put the
    attribution in the middle of a sentence, because
    the break is natural.
  • Some legislators are thoughtful and
    hard-working, Tung said, and some are honest.

17
Attribution
  • If a quote is long, attribution is best at the
    beginning, or at first natural break.
  • Even if I have not yet decided whether I will
    run again, Tung said, make no mistake I am
    proud of what Ive done. I have kept us on the
    two systems, one country model. I have kept my
    promises. I have brought prosperity. I am just
    and fair.

18
Attribution
  • Attribution should come at the beginning of a
    sentence when the speakers change.
  • What is wrong with this?
  • The editor said he no longer accepts ads for
    horse-race betting. He said, Betting only hurts
    people.
  • Editors have no right to pass judgement on this
    they might as well stop taking movie ads, too, a
    horse-racing fan said.

19
Quotation
  • Direct quotations are a sources exact words and
    go entirely in quote marks.
  • Indirect quotations are when reporters use own
    words to paraphrase the source these do not have
    quote marks.
  • Partial quotations are when reporters use only
    key words or phrases from a remark.

20
Quotation
  • Direct I support democracy, but it will be
    dangerous if we go too fast, said Chew Wing.
  • Indirect Mr. Wing said that while he supports
    democracy, it is dangerous to move toward it too
    quickly.
  • Partial Mr. Wing said he supports democracy,
    but it will be dangerous if we go too fast.

21
Quotations -- When to Use
  • Use quotations to let sources talk directly to
    the reader.
  • Use quotations when you cannot improve on
    speakers exact words.
  • Use quotations to tie a controversial opinion to
    a source.
  • Use quotations as evidence of a statement, or to
    reveal the speakers character.

22
Quotations -- When to Use
  • Use indirect quotations when speakers have not
    stated ideas effectively.
  • Use partial quotations when a key phrase helps
    communicate an idea effectively, or when
    necessary to attribute a controversial statement.
  • Example Wing said he killed the boy because he
    laughed at me.

23
Quotations -- When to Use
  • Two partial quotes in the same sentence are
    distracting.
  • Avoid using orphan quotes -- that is, quotes
    around a single word.
  • Example He complained that no one understands
    his problem.
  • The quote marks call attention to the word,
    perhaps unfairly.

24
Quotations -- When to Use
  • Direct quotations should illustrate a point, not
    tell the whole story. Use them in tandem with
    indirect quotations and paraphrasing.
  • Dont start paragraphs with a quote when the
    reader needs background information to understand
    the quote. Dont do this Were mobilizing for
    an economic war with other cities in Asia, Tung
    said of his plan for attracting new business to
    the city.

25
Quotations -- When to Use
  • Dont use the quote in that case. Use your words
    to describe what was said, so that the reader
    gets the information they need to understand what
    they are reading, as they are reading it. Do it
    this way The chief executive said his plan for
    attracting new business to the city amounted to
    mobilization for an economic war with other
    cities and states.

26
Quotations -- When to Use
  • A weak quotation is worse than none. If quote
    confuses people, dont use it. Here is an example
    of quote not worth using For the type of
    commission we are, you would expect that
    particular paradigm. That is nonsense -- use
    your own words.
  • On the other hand, some cliches are useful for
    example Our report gives Hong Kong a roadmap to
    the future, he said.
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