Attribution In Journalistic Writing

In journalism, journalists are opined to write news stories that are educating, informing, entertain, and persuading others. News stories are real-life situations therefore it is factual. It is real so journalists are to report on accurate news.

Journalists rely on sources to get these facts and these facts are based on evidence or proof. Thus journalists are expected to provide shreds of evidence for whatever they are reporting. In journalistic writing, these shreds of evidence come in the form of videos, pictures, recordings, quotes, and attributions.

Why is Attribution Necessary?

Attribution in journalistic writing is stating who said something. Attribution is important in all aspects of media including television and radio. Journalists attribute so that their readers know who is what, who is speaking or where the information comes from. Attribution gives the information credibility. We attribute what we do not observe or know to be factual. Attribution can be used for both spoken and written information. Spoken information that is attributed is gathered from interviews, films, radio, and television stations. Written information that is attributed is gathered from speeches, books, reports, and newspapers.

How Attribution works in both Direct and Reported Speeches

Attribution should be used whenever you want your readers to know where the information comes from. Attribution should be used to identify the source of the material or information that the journalist has not gathered through direct observation.
In reported speech, the attribution is still part of the sentence although it is not distinct as when you use direct quotes. There is a slight difference between the direct quote and reported speech.
For example:

Direct Speech

National Board chairman Ransford Enlund said “mismanagement of the economy can result to the poor living of the people when the government go on misusing funds”

Reported Speech

National Board chairman Ransford Enlund said that mismanagement of the economy could result in the poor living of the people when state funds are misused.

From the above examples, we name the speaker ( attribution) before we give either the quote or reported speech. The readers must know the speaker before they can judge what they have to say. Whenever you are writing news stories and you change the speaker ( attribution), tell your readers or listeners who are now going to speak in either quote or reported speech.

The difference between the direct quote speech and the reported speech is that you can see in the direct quote that the verbs are in the present tense and there is always a quotation mark (“”) but in the reported speech the verbs are in the past tense because the reported speech is something which was said in the past so tenses have to be changed.

How often can we Attribute?

A good journalist should know how to attribute statements in his or her story. You should not bore your readers with too many phrases such as “he said”. You should be changing or using alternatives such as ” warned”, “suggested”, “urged”, “asked”, and “disclosed”. But beware that each of these words has a specific meaning. Make sure it should be checked and is the correct one for what your speaker said and the way they said it.

Problems Journalists sometimes face in Attribution

Journalists face problems with attribution. Just because someone tells you something does not mean it is the fact. Certain truths are universally accepted. They are common to everyone so it does not necessarily attribute to them.
For instance, we could attest to the fact that elections in Ghana are held every 7th December, so in this case, you as a journalist need not attribute them.
Also as a reporter when you witness an incident or you are in the presence, you need not attribute it to anyone because you were present and witnessed everything. But when you got your information from a second-hand person then you need to attribute it.
Attribution is very important because even if the information you put across came not to be true because you attributed it to the source of the information, you won’t be held responsible. But always make sure you get the title, name, and everything of the person you got your information from to avoid misreporting.

Why so?

For instance, you would want to attribute a piece of information you got from someone and the person is called Washington, since this name is known to Americans as the former president of America, readers will think it is him meanwhile it’s a different person and if this leads to defamation, you will be held responsible.

In attribution, some people tend to say their opinions on something and as the journalist, you should let your readers know that it is the source who is speaking or telling his or her opinion, or else readers will assume that you are giving your opinion on that particular issue. Remember that journalists do not attach emotions to whatever they are reporting and should be objective.

Things to do when Attributing

* Listen attentively to your source.
* Check the name and the spelling of the name.
* Ask your source whether whatever information he or she telling you can be attributed to him or her.
* Check, cross-check, and check again.

Some information sources will not allow you to attribute them. In our subsequent articles, we will tackle how attribution is done and what goes into it.

In summary, attribution is who said what. Quotes are important in print and broadcast so always attribute quotes to the source of the information. Attribute all opinions and information which is not clear to avoid libel.

You might not be a journalist or media personnel but this attribution information might be helpful to you thus the general attribution in our daily lives.

Proper Attribution: What It Is and Why You Shouldn’t Forget It

Failure to attribute can result in a breach of copyright and other intellectual property rights, an infringement of privacy, or even defamation. Attribution is the acknowledgment of another person’s contribution. It helps you avoid plagiarism and give credit where it is due. Whether you are using someone else’s work as inspiration, collaborating with another individual or team on a project, or simply documenting your process so that others can follow along later, proper attribution is key. Giving credit to those who have influenced your work or helped you along the way demonstrates that you are a trustworthy individual and professional. In Journalism and media, attribution is a key factor, especially in online and print media. Journalists are supposed to attribute facts to whoever the report is about. This is to ensure credibility. To help you understand why attribution is important and how to properly do it, we have put together this handy guide.

What Is Proper Attribution?

In its simplest form, proper attribution is the acknowledgment of another person’s contribution. It helps you avoid plagiarism and give credit where it is due. It’s especially important when you are referencing or including the work of others in your work. If you are referencing another person’s work or content verbatim, you need to make sure that you give proper attribution. If you are not properly attributing your use of someone else’s content, you could be accused of plagiarism. In the case of journalism, you may be in trouble If you are remixing or repurposing someone else’s work, such as a photo, image, or piece of text, you should give attribution to the source. Even if you are not using the content verbatim, you are still taking advantage of someone else’s work, so give attribution to the original creator.

Why Is Proper Attribution Important?

When you fail to attribute properly, you run the risk of breaking several laws and violating others’ intellectual property rights. You also run the risk of creating a poor reputation for yourself as an individual or brand. Attributing others’ work properly shows that you respect their contribution and acknowledge their effort. If you fail to properly attribute the work of others, you could be sued for copyright infringement. If you use the work of another person without giving them attribution, you violate their copyright. You may also violate the Copyright Act if you fail to give proper attribution because you have republished the work of another person without their permission.

How to Give Proper Attribution in Your Work

There is no one-size-fits-all method for giving attribution. It depends on the type of work you are doing and the type of content you are referencing or including. If you are writing a paper or article, you should make sure that you include a citation for any research you have used. Any images included in your paper should have a source listed. For an audio or video podcast, you should make sure that you have a source listed for any music or audio that you have used in your episode. If you are interviewing someone, you should make sure that you have a source listed for the name of the person you interviewed, their job title, and the name of their company.

Why is it Still So Important to Remember to Attribute?

It is important to remember to attribute because you do not want to plagiarize. Plagiarism is the act of taking someone else’s work and pretending it is your own. It is a serious breach of ethics and can result in everything from being expelled from school to getting fired from your job. If you are in school, it could even result in expulsion. If you are working on a team or collaborating with others, you need to attribute your co-workers’ contributions. You may be tempted to take the credit for their hard work, but this is unfair to them. You may also be tempted to ignore their contributions because they are not the type of work that can be credited easily. It is important to remember to attribute appropriately so that your team feels acknowledged and valued.

Conclusion

When it comes to attribution, less is not more. If you have used another person’s work in any way, you need to give proper attribution. This can be tricky when you are swamped with deadlines and your to-do list is miles long. However, it is important to make the time to properly attribute the work of others. If you don’t, you run the risk of breaking several laws, receiving poor reviews, and damaging your reputation. Keep these tips in mind to make sure that you are properly attributing the work of others so that you can avoid all of these issues.

Image source: pixabay.com and canva.com