Quotes
And clichés
The quote

Writers for the mass media rely on
interviews. These produce quotes.

When you refer to what another source has
said or written using exact words, it’s a
quote.

It has quote marks around it.
Quote marks
Grammar reminder:

In the United States quote marks are always
outside punctuation, except when using a
colon or semicolon. Examples:
“Heavy snowfall is forecast for tomorrow,”
according to meteorologist Irving Nern.
Jenson proposed “an array of solutions to stop
high tuition”; the first step is a tax increase.
Direct quotes

A direct quote uses quote marks (double
quotes in the United States) to indicate the
exact words a speaker used.

Writers or editors are ethically bound to
change nothing with quote marks around it.

Some editors believe it’s OK to clear up bad
grammar in quotes.
Direct quotes

If a writer or editor prefers to use other
words, he or she must remove the quote
marks. Example:
Nern said, “I plan to run for Congress as long
as the people want me.”

You can change this, but you need to
remove the quotes:
Nern said she will consider running for
Congress as long as the voters want me.

This is called a paraphrase.
Partial quotes

A writer or editor may use some of the
source’s actual words, and some of his or
her own. Example:
Nern said she will run for Congress “as long as
the people will have me.”

The first part of that does not use her exact
words, so the sentence becomes a partial
quote.
The paraphrase

If a writer or editor prefers to use different
words from what the source says, the
statement becomes a paraphrase. Example:

Nern said if the public support is there, a run
for Congress is a possibility.

Did she use those words? No, so we can’t
put quote marks around them, even if the
attribution “said” is there.
The paraphrase

A paraphrase interprets what a source said.
Is the paraphrase accurate? That depends
on the writer’s and editor’s judgment.

Important note: NEVER add quote marks to
paraphrases. You don’t know if those were
the exact words.

You can remove quote marks if you wish,
but consider that mass media stories should
have some direct quotes to add interest and
color.
Attributions

Note that attributions (said, says) can be in
either the past or present tense, but should
be consistent throughout a story.

Don’t use clumsy attributions like stated and
commented.

Long quotes should have attributions in the
middle to remind a reader who’s speaking.
Example:
“I hope to run for governor next year,” said
Nern. “If that is successful, I’ll consider a future
senate race, and, who knows, maybe
president!”
Clichés

A cliché is a once cute and clever turn of
phrase that has become tired and
hackneyed through overuse.

We try to make our writing fresh and original,
so avoid clichés.
Levels of clichés
We can identify three levels of clichés:

Old common phrases.

Pop culture phrases.

Stereotypes.
Old common phrases

These are often metaphors. They usually
have been around for centuries. Examples:
Beehive of activity.
Thorn in his side.
Chicken with its head cut off.

Sometimes these evoke barnyard or nautical
experiences long gone from our day-to-day
experience.
Journalese

Trite expressions favored by journalists and
business people also are a level of the
common cliché. Examples:
Acid test.
Long-smoldering disagreement.
The bottom line.
Cautious optimism.
Firestorm of criticism.
Impact or finalize as a verb.
Political clichés

Clichés can join with buzzwords to make
meaningless quotes. Here’s a classic by
John Kerry, secretary of state:
“I want to make this crystal clear,” he said.
“The president is desirous of trying to see how
we can make our best efforts in order to find a
way to facilitate.”

That’s “crystal clear?”
Business clichés

Business people use a bevy of clichés.
Some of the more extreme examples:
“Can we blue sky this synergy later?”
“Cascade this to your people and see what the
pushback is.”
“Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.”
Business clichés

In business, apparently, research shows
some clichés have a point. It gives others
the idea that you get “the big picture” and so
might be worthy of promotion to
management.

Whatever, but in the media these clichés just
sound ridiculous.

For credibility in media, language should be
real. Integrity in writing, as in life, is to say
what you mean and mean what you say.
Platitudes

Also related to this level of cliché are the old
and common platitudes that actually are
fairly meaningless or inaccurate. A few
examples:

It’s not rocket science.

Good things come to those who wait.

Time heals all wounds.

If first you don’t succeed, try try again.

You’re as young as you feel.
Lists of common clichés

You can find lists of common clichés and
platitudes by internet search.

I suggest you become familiar with at least
the most common ones so you will be able
to identify them when editing. They do take a
while to learn, but…
Patience is a virtue.
Pop culture clichés

These are usually fairly new. They become
popular based on movies or television
shows.

Usually pop culture clichés are fads that
come and go. Here are a few from 70s and
80s:
Sock it to me! (“Laugh In,” 1960s.)
Isn’t that special. (“Saturday Night Live,”
1970s.)
Sorry about that, chief. (“Get Smart,” 1960s).
Stereotypes

This third level of cliché is more insidious,
and more dangerous.

It is based on assumptions by writers and
editors who never have experienced a
location or culture.

Bias or ignorance encourages stereotypes.
Stereotypes and journalism

It is common for us to compartmentalize
groups in society.

Perhaps it’s even useful, as we can’t always
re-examine our ideas every time we
consider a group. So we reduce it to a few
broad ideas and move on.

But editors in particular need to know that
unexamined stereotypes are transmitted and
fixed in people’s minds through the media.
Common stereotypes
Here are some of the most common and
damaging stereotypes:

African-Americans are lazy drug-dealers.

Christians are homophobic.

Italians are good lovers.

Native Americans are lazy alcoholics.

Students are also lazy alcoholics!

Fargo is a frozen wasteland.

California is a state of crazy liberals.
Stereotypical phrases
Stereotypes can be shortened into phrases
that suggest the cliché:

Ghetto-blasting drug dealers;

Islamic terrorists;

Wild-eyed feminists;

Absent-minded college professors;

Dumb blonde coeds;

Stingy manipulative Jews.

Crooked politicians.
Uses of stereotypes

We do recognize stereotypes in film and
novels. They offer a shorthand to help
describe a character.

Even Shakespeare used them, particularly
for Jews and women.

Cinderella is an obvious stereotype of
women as helpless and vulnerable. This is
repeated in typical action movies.

In “The Simpsons” Homer portrays the
world’s stereotype of Americans: lazy, dumb
and fat.
Avoiding stereotypes

Does a stereotype sometimes have an
element of truth? Sometimes. That’s where
the stereotype comes from.

Nevertheless, editors need to both recognize
the damage that stereotypical presumptions
in themselves, and in their publications, can
do.

When you reduce a person to a few
simplistic presumptions, you refuse to treat
the person with respect as an individual.

Do you like to be treated as a “lazy boozing
college student?”