People aren't always going to want to have something publicized. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be publicized.

New to interviews

Most people have never been interviewed before. As you sit down to talk to them, they will say things they didn't realize they said. They will make comments they didn't mean. Part of it is nervousness and part of it is human nature.

When you write the article, you need to write it with this in mind. Would you like your husband quoted in the daily paper saying, "My wife never wears pajamas"? It may be true, but does it have a bearing on the story? Will it just cause undue embarrassment?

Being in the newspaper is a big deal to a lot of people. Articles are clipped and lovingly placed in scrapbooks. Some are even framed and hung on walls of new businesses or in family rooms.

Does the quote have a bearing on the article? If the man was being quoted for one of those most embarrassing moments stories, the answer may be yes. If it is just a feature article about a man and wife, the answer may be no.

Maintain their dignity

As you write the story and use quotes, you don't want to make your source appear comical. Especially if you are dealing with this source over and over again, you need to make sure you treat their words with caution. You need them and they need you.

Part of my job as a reporter is to contact law enforcement personnel on a regular basis to get information. As I spoke to one officer, he made reference to the weather, saying, "It's ugly out there." A nasty winter storm had caused a number of accidents and he had a few colorful descriptions of the weather.

He knew he was talking to me for an article and that I would quote him. As the interview wound to a close, he asked that I not quote him saying anything stupid, like the weather is ugly. "You take care of me and I'll take care of you," he said.

I understood what he meant. We could joke on the phone, reporter and officer, but I needed to understand some comments weren't for print. So how do I tell?

He is a police officer in the community and as such, is expected to put his life on the line. He doesn't want the public to perceive him as a jokester. He had given me good quotes about the weather conditions and the accidents caused that were said professionally. He had also joked with me as we chatted.

The quote, "It's ugly out there," sounded good, but wasn't as useful or informative as "The high number of accidents along the freeway prompted us to close it for several hours. There were so many accidents happening that we were short-handed."

The first quote could have been made by anyone. The second quote, however, carries the authority of a police officer.

Make sure you make your sources look good and they will trust you. By trusting you they will give you all sorts of good information that will allow you to write even more stories. A reporter can be hated or disliked, but should always be trusted.

Why you shouldn't show sources

* Typically, a news article should have sources from all sides of an issue. By showing a source the finished article, you are inviting them to get a glimpse of the opposite side's comments. This tends to make the source want to "tweak" their comments.

* They tend to think that by granting them a sneak preview, you are also granting them editorial duties. They suggest word changes, sentence structure and even entire rewrites.

* People tend to not like what they said because they believe they "sound stupid." Or they don't remember exactly what they said so they try to change or elaborate on their comments. Often they may want to change a good, simple quote to some multi-word thing that has no purpose at all except protecting their rear.

What can you do?

* You can offer to read back a source's quotes to ensure accuracy. This should only be done after the source has made the request, and should only include the quotes from the source and not the entire article.

* Volunteer to be a source for an article. The best way to learn about handling other's is to have your words mangled. (I'm serious. It will give you a real appreciation of what your sources go through when they place their words in your trust.)

* Read (or watch) other reporter's accounts of events you have covered. You will know about it and you may be surprised at inaccuracies or perceptions of others.

* Continue to learn how to improve.

Just last week, I covered a meeting where people spoke out against a government body. One woman who spoke, however, didn't speak out on the issue, but had another concern. She made it very clear she didn't agree with the rest of the protesters. That night on television, the local TV news showed her standing up speaking, but the vocal was a voice over of the reporter saying, "many people spoke to the commissioners objecting..."

This woman didn't object. She shouldn't have been shown speaking, especially when the reporter made those comments. It was bad editing of the tape, but it can happen in written articles as well. Make sure you don't make it seem like someone said something they didn't. It only makes everyone more distrustful of reporters.

Another View

Writer's Digest magazine asked several prominent authors and journalists to share their opinions
(http://www.writersdigest.com/wd0301/responses.html) about this topic.


Linda Sherwood is the editor of Small Town Press
(http://www.smalltownpress.net). She started writing for newspapers while in high school.