How To Document
How To Apply Attribution
Deposit Photos. Used with permission.
DEFINING ATTRIBUTION
Attribution is a common way of identifying the sources of information by the news media. I want it to be a common way that YOU identify sources in articles, blogs, etc. that are a part of your documentation as well.
The articles and stories the news media releases rely on in-person interviews, eye-witness accounts, on-the-scene reports, and similar measures to capture and relay information. If we are conducting interviews and using them to write our content, we need to begin to see ourselves as embracing a very similar process.
Attribution is the journalist's number one way of identifying the source of their stories. This practice, however, is strikingly different from scholarly or academic writing which depends exclusively on formal citation processes with strict, defined rules.
It is critically important not to confuse "attribution" with academic citations. The two ARE NOT the same! The only thing they have in common is that both seek to give credit to the original source. The similarities break down from there.
You need to know that attribution is SIMPLE to learn to do and SIMPLE to apply. This is one of the main reasons why I believe journalism offers an "any-one-can-learn-to-document" approach in some of its key areas. If done correctly, it can be reliable and proving credibility.
On a side note, if you are producing a book-length project then you may need to move toward a scholarly approach and use the appropriate academic citation method. Attribution, as we are discussing it here, is not appropriate for book projects.
COMMON EXAMPLES OF ATTRIBUTION
Attribution generally includes three pieces of information: a person's full name, their title if significant to the story, and a short phrase or word that identifies their importance. Check out the examples below. The bolded portion of the sentence is the attribution.
EXAMPLE #1: "Five people were arrested for burglarizing the Southeast High School on Bellview Road in East Atlanta," stated Officer John Doe of the Fulton County Police Department.
EXAMPLE #2: "The accused shooter tossed the weapon inside a dumpster and fled the scene," stated eyewitness Jane S. Doe.
I could have written this: The accused shooter tossed the weapon inside a dumpster and fled the scene. However, the statement is just.... well a statement without attribution. Nothing can be verified without the name of the person who made the statement.
To give the statement credibility, it was important to say "who said it." In addition, we now know that Jane S. Doe was an eyewitness. In addition, if the person who fled the scene is captured by police this "eye witness" would be a part of the ongoing story and the testimony would become a critical part of the arrest, identification of the shooter, court proceedings, and conviction. All of which, at some point, would become public record.
I might also present EXAMPLE #2 in a paraphrase or indirect quote: According to Jane S. Doe, and eyewitness, the shooter tossed the weapon in a dumpster and fled the scene.
In instances where attribution is used, you will generally see words or phrases like: according to, said, stated, reported, etc. Basically, anytime information comes from someone else and is placed in printed form, attribution is needed. If you were the witness, then you could write from your personal perspective and would not need a primary source. See the example below.
EXAMPLE #3: I saw the shooter toss the weapon in the dumpster and flee the scene.
Finally, there may be times when your attribution comes from a document instead of a person. In these instances, you attribute the information to the agency or organization that made the info available. See the example below.
EXAMPLE #4: The Fulton County Police Department reported that the shooter tossed the weapon in the dumpster and fled the scene.
FOUR KINDS OF ATTRIBUTION
As you document, there are four different types of attribution journalists use. It is my prayer that you make use of them also. To begin to practice what this looks like, I want to encourage you to begin looking at articles on well-known news media sites like the BBC, CNN, ABC, or some of the other networks. Even better, check out your local television, radio, and news stations.
Radio and television reporters read "from copy" and "speak spontaneously." So pay close attention to HOW they attribute their stories - both orally and in written form. When television reporters are broadcasting live, they often walk up to people, ask them questions, and await their response. Print news reporters interview, write, and report. Basically, the media does the same thing with attribution but in different mediums.
There are four kinds of attribution you will see used by journalists:
ON THE RECORD: This is when your source gives you permission to quote them directly using their identifiable information. Examples #1 and #2 demonstrates this. This is the most valuable kind of attribution because it comes from the primary source.
OFF THE RECORD: This is when you receive information from a source but cannot publish it. Sometimes the source will only talk to you if you agree not to use their name or any of the information they share. I know its strange, but these types of encounters are valuable and can serve as leads. The information shared is for the reporter or journalist. A good reporter, however, knows how to take what they have learned and find primary sources through other methods or means – protecting their confidential source.
ON DEEP BACKGROUND: During an interview, a source might provide tremendous background information. The writer has the opportunity to conceptualize and summarize this info in their mind and summarize it in their own words. It is not a direct quote and fully contributes to the background of the article. The attribution here is literally in the reporter's own words.
For example, the journalist might write the following: The burglarized school was closed for summer break. The only staff on site were janitorial and administrative. Classroom teachers hosting summer school had left for the day. No one was harmed.
ON BACKGROUND. The source gives the reporter information that can be directly quoted, but the source's identifiable information cannot be used. It is also helpful when quoting from an official document from an organization that does not have the "identifying" information from a person. Instead, the writer or reporter might use an agency, organization, or another generic term in the quote. EXAMPLE #4 is an excellent demonstration of this.
I mentioned this earlier, but an easy way to learn how to write "attribution" is to pay close attention to how main-stream media outlets report the news and attribute their stories. Another excellent way to observe attribution in action is to read through a magazine like TIME, NEWSWEEK, or pick up a copy of USA Today. If you are outside of the United States, grab a copy of any popular NEWS publication. Then, read through the article highlighting the different types of attribution.
This is a quick and easy way to learn. I subscribe to a couple of historical magazines as well like Archaeology Today, Family Tree Magazine, and Creation Magazine. These magazines tackle historical topics. I am able to see documentation from a historical, journalism perspective.
I want you to know that you can learn how to do this by reading quality newspapers, magazines, historical books, watching documentaries of any kind, and listening to news broadcasts on the radio and watching news programs on television! While I have given you a "news style" to consider -- know that it is simple and can be applied in a broad range of ways. Make note of key phrases like "she stated, he reported, according to, reports stated, statistics show, the organization published, etc."
Remember, by observing certain publications, you can grasp what it might look like for you. Examples are a wonderful way to begin learning.
Here are some publications I read that have excellent examples of what this looks like in photography and print: