Use and misuse of quotes

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, July, 1989 by John B. Camdbell

Use and misuse of quotes

All journalists worthy of the name use quotes. Not all use them well.

Browse in a random collection of magazines and you will find articles in which quotes are . Overused. Doesn't the writer have something to say? . Overlong. What is this story about, anyhow? . Unclear. I hear what he says, but what does it mean? . Unlikely. Does he really talk like a book? . Unfair. The poor guy should have kept his mouth shut.

Handling quotes well doesn't make you a better thinker, and it won't turn a bad story line into a good story line. But it does do a lot for credibility and readability. Moreover, the ability to handle quotes well is a mark of professionalism that some of us look for in a job candidate.

Fortunately, the proper handling of quotes can be taught and learned. A writer who comes to journalism with the music of the English language in his head can easily learn how to handle quotes effectively. Others can learn the mechanics well enough to make life more bearable for copy editors.

As in most other aspects of journalism, there's room for differences of opinion regarding the proper handling of quotes. This article presents the views of a gray-haired business press editor who has seen thousands of quotes come and, more often, go. If these views sound dogmatic, that's partly to get your attention.

Quotes make a difference

When an editor hands back a piece of copy and says, "Get some quotes," it may be a reflex. But there are plenty of good reasons to include quotes in any story. At the least, they add credibility and provide a change of pace. At best, they can add color and presence as well. Consider the following:

Battelle Memorial Institute is setting up a pilot plant at Columbus, Ohio, to help licensees develop the process variations needed for various concentrates. Work to date has not turned up any concentrates on which the process will not work.

It's workmanlike paragraph. But the writer, bless him, was so intent on his story line that he ignored a quote that would have added concreteness and credibility. Rewritten:

Battelle Memorial Institute is setting up a pilot plant at Columbus, Ohio, to help licensees develop the process variations needed for various concentrates. Says Arbiter: "We have found no concentrates on which it will not work."

The role of quotes does vary depending on the mission of the magazine and the type of story. If you write for a niche audience that is hungry for factual nitty-gritty, you may feel that quotes just slow up the information transfer. If you write for a newsmagazine, though, you will probably encounter someone like me. When I wore a newsmagazine hat, I usually wanted to see a quote within the first three paragraphs.

There's good reason to get a quote up front. Many leads tend to the cosmic and portentous. A pithy quote is a welcome change of pace. It is also quick assurance for the reader that you've been talking with real people. That is an immediate boost to credibility. Thus:

Suddenly, demand for coal, uranium, copper, and other underground resources is soaring. That's a welcome turnaround for the mining industry, which has been flat on its back for two years. But there's a hitch: The industry can't find enough mining engineers to develop the new capacity it needs.

That isn't for want of trying. "We made offers to about 60% of all mining engineer graduates last year," says David R. Kranak, personnel director at Consolidation Coal Co. "We talked to 80%, and if possible we would have talked to 100%."

Starting right off with a quote can work well, too, if it's done sparingly. It's a kind of promise to the reader that, however prosaic the rest of the lead may be, you'll be getting back to flesh and blood before long. For example:

"This plant makes us the lowest-cost producer of gas turbine systems in the world," says Leonard D. Johnson. "If it doesn't, they ought to fire me."

Johnson manages the new $30-million Westinghouse Electric Corp. plant in Round Rock, Texas, 15 miles north of Austin. The 260,000-sq.-ft. plant....

Both of those are pretty good starts, but they won't count for much if the rest of the story then settles down into a steady drone. A judicious sprinkling of quotes can help enliven the pace and enhance credibility from beginning to end.

Emphasize different sources

There is a promotional consideration, too. Multisource reporting is a standard in today's journalism. Quotes are an important way you show informed readers that you are meeting that standard.

Sprinkling quotes is one thing. Hosing them on is another.

A sprinkling of quotes on a page helps attract the reader. A page awash in quotes is repulsive.

Far more important, a sea of quotes makes it just about impossible to sustain a story line in the reader's mind. The continual shift from one voice to another is just too confusing.

Retain writer's authority

Just as important is the loss of authority. Nothing is more vital to the impact of a story than the sense of authoritativeness must come from the writer. That means that the writer, not the quotes, must make the major statements that link to form the story line. Don't turn over a topic sentence to a quote.