How not to attribute a quote
The Daily News & Analysis (DNA) newspaper's Mumbai edition on April 14, 2010 carried a page 1 story Chavan under fire after local body election debacle which has a quote attributed to "a couple of senior leaders".
The quote runs thus: "The party must take immediate corrective steps and not leave the entire functioning of the Congress in the hands of Chavan alone. If things run the same way, we will lose the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections due in 2012," a couple of senior leaders cautioned...."
The problem here is that the quote, in inverted commas, is of a view in a section of the Congress party, but gives the impression that the two people said the same thing in the same precise set of words. It is unlikely ever that two people can say things identically for no two people speak or write identically; it would be a miracle if they do.
This can be tested by asking three people to describe a building, a tree, an event - anything for that matter - in few words. The outcome would be different perceptions in different words and possibly conveying the same impression or view.
The problem arises because of a reporter's need to be:
* Comprehensive;
* Keep the copy brief; and
* Provide the impression that what was said in the copy was said by someone else, not the reporter.
Such attempts lead to situations where reporters are forced to convey a view spoken in a language other than English, which in this case would probably have been Marathi, and then translate it into English. Much is not lost, but is added in this translation.
It would be best practice to state the view by following the skills acquired in high school in precis writing and then ascribe it to the unidentified sources without the inverted commas. Otherwise, it could give the impression that a quote was manufactured. It serves the purpose as well as the quote in inverted commas. It would also be fair to the persons who spoke to the reporter and the readers.
--Mahesh Vijapurkar
The quote runs thus: "The party must take immediate corrective steps and not leave the entire functioning of the Congress in the hands of Chavan alone. If things run the same way, we will lose the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections due in 2012," a couple of senior leaders cautioned...."
The problem here is that the quote, in inverted commas, is of a view in a section of the Congress party, but gives the impression that the two people said the same thing in the same precise set of words. It is unlikely ever that two people can say things identically for no two people speak or write identically; it would be a miracle if they do.
This can be tested by asking three people to describe a building, a tree, an event - anything for that matter - in few words. The outcome would be different perceptions in different words and possibly conveying the same impression or view.
The problem arises because of a reporter's need to be:
* Comprehensive;
* Keep the copy brief; and
* Provide the impression that what was said in the copy was said by someone else, not the reporter.
Such attempts lead to situations where reporters are forced to convey a view spoken in a language other than English, which in this case would probably have been Marathi, and then translate it into English. Much is not lost, but is added in this translation.
It would be best practice to state the view by following the skills acquired in high school in precis writing and then ascribe it to the unidentified sources without the inverted commas. Otherwise, it could give the impression that a quote was manufactured. It serves the purpose as well as the quote in inverted commas. It would also be fair to the persons who spoke to the reporter and the readers.
--Mahesh Vijapurkar
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