Stealing quotes

Told reporters.

Crap, it's not that difficult. Two extra words. "told reporters."

To me, if you're not there, take quotes from a heavily attended presser and fail to add the "told reporters," it's just as misleading as swiping quotes from a competitor.

 

Call the coach first, just to make sure he didn't speak to the other paper. Then tell your boss(es).

 

When I was at a large metro paper, I took this issue up the ladder asking how to attribute quotes posted on the Internet by teams and/or leagues. Got all the way to the top -- executive editor -- who said no attribution is necessary. If they post the quotes from a news conference, it's just like you were there. One example he gave is a quote sheet distributed by a team after a game. You can use those with no attribution, but you didn't actually hear the guy say it yourself. You also wouldn't have to attribute quotes if you were watching a video feed.

I use posted quotes quite a bit in columns and I don't attribute them. Taking something from a paper or from a story on a team's Web site is different and must be attributed. But raw quotes from a press conference posted by the team? I'd say they're fair game.

 

I've attributed quotes to competing papers and the desk has removed the name of the paper.

For that reason, don't be 100 percent sure the guy who wrote the story didn't give credit. Someone on my desk had a fetish about mentioning another paper. My motivation was ass-covering more than anything. If the quote wasn't correct, at least I'd sourced it.

 

In that case, I'd just say: "We're taking it one game at a time," coach Joe Smoe said in a published report.

 

Maybe your conversations are being recorded. Do you sometimes hear a high-pitched squeal?

Do your fillings hurt during post-game interviews?

If it's an indirect quote, there's a chance that this person asked a question and got a similar answer. If it's a direct quote, however, I think you have a legitimate beef.

 

yes it is. said paper turned story into ap to use any way it wanted. you are crediting "the source" when you put an ap at the top of the story. i added those "bill johnson told the drippydick press" a 1,000 times when i was in news. ap chose to delete about 50 percent of 'em and leave the other 50 percent in willy nilly.

it's not up to your paper to pimp another if they choose to let ap put its byline atop one of their stories.

 

You can also use "Told ESPN.com's ______________."

They get everything first.

 

There was an instance last week, Monday, following the U.S. Open tennis final, where there were two stories bylined New York in a certain newspaper. They included quotes which, I suspect, were from transcripts that went online.

The writer in question, a well-known freelancer, was nowhere in sight that day. I know this because I was. He was at none of the press conferences in question. His workstation was empty. For one conference in particular, there were no more than five people there because it concerned a local, so I would have noticed him.

Is this considered fraudulent? I know it's no Jayson Blair situation of not being where you say you are. But actually, it kind of is. I don't have issue with the stories (although as I remember, there was no "told reporters" tagging the quotes), but with the place line.

Thoughts?

 

I'm probably in the minority here, but I always think readers should be alerted as to the context of the quote, not only in cases of attribution to other papers.

I hate the blanket, "Yadda, yadda, yadda," Player X said.

OK. He said it. Where did he say it?

If he said it to a group of reporters when asked about Yadda. Then say that.

If he said it after practice Monday. Say it.

If he said it in the Podunk Times. Say it.

I know there are exceptions, but I think it is our responsibility to give readers as much context as possible.

 

Happened to me a couple years ago with a Tribune-owned paper. I interviewed a person ALONE at a NASCAR Cup race and a few weeks later saw my quotes in another dude's story.

I emailed the editor and they gave attribution to our pub after the fact. Got some song-and-dance that the reporter thought I took quotes from car manufacturer press release quotes that everyone has access to.

 

This brings up another question. When covering preps, I try to use only quotes that are direct responses to my own questions. I realize that things are a bit different when everyone is competing for time. But I think it's sort of rude to jot down the responses to another reporter's questions and trot off to use them in a story when you have an opportunity to get your own stuff.