Newsroom Briefing Teacher Guide Newsroom Briefing
Teacher Facilitation Guide
Lesson 1.4
Journalism Unit
Objective
Students will accurately integrate and attribute direct quotes in their news articles, focusing on technical punctuation rules and the ethical responsibility of journalistic integrity.
Key Concepts
"The Golden Quote" Attribution Tags Integrity
Schedule (45 min)
Intro & Slides 10m
Formatting Drill 15m
Quote Planning 15m
Exit Wrap-up 5m
1
Direct Instruction: The Why and How
Use the Using Quotes Slides. Focus on the human element: why does an exact quote carry more weight than a summary? Review the comma-inside-quotes rule repeatedly.
Key Question: "If you change a quote to make it 'nicer,' are you still being a truthful reporter?"
2
Guided Practice: Formatting Drill
Distribute the Quote Formatting Worksheet. Model the first three corrections on the board. Look for common errors: forgetting capital letters at the start of a quote or putting commas outside quotation marks.
3
Independent Work: The Attribution Plan
Students apply learning to their own stories using the Attribution Plan Organizer. They must select two "Golden Quotes" and draft the lead-in context for each. Walk the room to check for varied verb choice (beyond just "said").
Scaffolding
Provide a "Verb Bank" (argued, noted, explained, recalled). For emerging writers, allow them to use a "fill-in-the-blank" format for the attribution tags.
Integrity Check
Remind students: Changing a speaker's meaning is the cardinal sin of journalism. If a quote is confusing, use [brackets] to add context, but never alter the speaker's intent.
Using Quotes Slides Press Room Academy
GIVING CREDIT
WHERE IT BELONGS
Mastering Quotes and Attribution in Journalism
The "Why" Behind the Words
Human Connection
Quotes bring emotion and personality to a story that facts alone cannot reach.
Authority & Credibility
Using an expert's exact words proves you did your research and reported accurately.
"The quote is the heartbeat of the news article. Without it, your story is just a list of things that happened."
— Chief Editor's Motto
Anatomy of a Quote
"The stadium was so loud that I couldn't hear my own heart beating," said goalie Sam Rivers.
The Quote
The exact words spoken.
The Verb
The attribution action.
The Speaker
Full name and title.
The Golden Rules
Rule #1: The Comma Trap
The comma ALWAYS goes inside the quotation marks when the attribution follows.
"I'm ready," she said.
Rule #2: Capitalization
If the quote is a full sentence, capitalize the first word—even mid-sentence.
The coach insisted, "Never give up."
Journalistic Integrity
Do Not Change the Words
As a journalist, your job is to report the truth. If you change a quote to make it "sound better," you are misleading your audience.
Use ... for skipped words
Use [ ] for added clarity
Quote Formatting Worksheet Quote Formatting Drill
Editorial Department | Assignment 1.4
Reporter: _________________
Date: _________
Part 1: The Repair Shop
Rewrite these quotes correctly. Watch your commas and capital letters!
1. i think we can win the championship said captain sarah jones
2. the principal stated classes will be canceled tomorrow due to the snow
3. look out for that falling tree screamed the gardener
Part 2: Interview to Article
Dr. Aris (Scientist)
"The water in the river is cleaner than it was ten years ago because of the new filters."
Leo (Student Artist)
"I spent three weeks painting this mural and I hope people feel happy when they see it."
Part 3: Beyond "Said"
Replace "said" with a more descriptive verb that fits the mood.
"I will never let this happen again," said the Mayor.
"Maybe the lost dog is in the park," said the young boy.
"The experiment was a total success!" said the chemist.
Attribution Plan Organizer !
Attribution Plan
Organizing Your Evidence & Voices
Reporter Name:
_________________________
STAGE 1
The "Golden Quote" Hunt
Look through your interview notes. Select the two most impactful quotes. Look for emotion, opinion, and expert insight—avoid quotes that only state simple facts.
Quote Selection #01 Speaker: ______________________
Quote Selection #02 Speaker: ______________________
STAGE 2
Integration Drafts
Practice writing the sentence that leads into your quote. Give the reader context (who is speaking and why?).
Drafting Quote #01 Integration
Example: Looking at the damaged park, neighborhood resident Mary Su insisted, "We will rebuild."
Drafting Quote #02 Integration
Integrity Checkpoint
Before moving to your final draft, check: Does this quote represent the speaker's true voice? If you've shortened it using ellipses (...), does the original meaning still stand? Accuracy is your strongest tool.
