Quotes and attribution
Direct quote
Also: direct quotes
A speaker's exact words, set inside quotation marks and credited to them. The most powerful tool a reporter has.
A direct quote is what the person actually said, word for word, in quote marks. Used well it brings a story to life and lets the reader hear a real voice. Used badly it pads. Quote the line that only that person could say, not the dull middle. Simon's quotes factsheets are some of the best things on this site.
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