# Quote rules

A reporter uses a quote only when it says something the release itself
cannot: an opinion, a judgment, a reason, or a consequence, in a real
person's voice. Most release quotes fail because they repeat the facts and
add "excited."

## Where quotes come from

Release quotes are drafted for the speaker, then approved by them. That is
normal practice, and the approval is what makes the words theirs. In the
interview, ask each speaker's view in their own words: "Why did you do this?"
or "What changes now?" Draft the quote from what they said, keep their meaning
and their phrasing where you can, and mark it for approval:

```
"Every week we lose a day waiting for a part from Germany," said Jane Ortiz,
chief operating officer of Tarnby Freight Systems. "Making it here gives that
day back to our customers." [DRAFT QUOTE: approve with Jane Ortiz]
```

If you have nothing from the speaker, write a placeholder that says what the
quote should cover, and keep the attribution outside it:

```
[QUOTE: why the company chose Erie for the plant] said Jane Ortiz, chief
operating officer of Tarnby Freight Systems.
```

Do not write words for them. If the user's draft has a quote made only of stock
phrases, replace it the same way and suggest two or three questions to ask the
speaker.

## What a good quote does

- **It says why**, not what. The body already said what.
- **It is specific**: a number, a scene, a customer's problem, a decision the
  speaker made.
- **It sounds like one person talking.** One person would say "we lose a day."
  A committee writes "drive operational efficiencies."
- **At least one sentence works alone.** A reporter or an AI engine often
  lifts one sentence, not the whole quote.
- **It runs two or three sentences.** One quote per speaker is usually enough.
  Two speakers is common; three is the limit.

## Format

- Start the paragraph with the quote, not the speaker's name. No colon before
  it.
- Attribute with `said`, after the first sentence of the quote:
  `"First sentence," said Name, title of Company. "Second sentence."`
- Give the full name and title on first reference, and the last name only after
  that. If the speaker needs an introduction first (a new board seat, a new
  role), give it its own sentence before the quote paragraph.
- Lowercase a title after a name: `said Jane Ortiz, chief operating officer`.
- Use `said`, never `stated`, `commented`, or `added` with an adverb.

## Never

- Never quote anyone outside the company (a customer, investor, partner, or
  analyst) unless the user gave you their words.
- Never use a quote to introduce a new statistic. Facts and figures live in
  the body, and a quote reacts to them. A speaker's loose words, such as "a
  dozen", "months", or "three machines", are fine. If a speaker's figure differs
  from the body's ("three months" against "9 to 14 weeks"), keep the speaker's
  words and list the mismatch under facts to check.
- Never imitate a real writer or public figure.
- Never use these: excited, thrilled, delighted, honored, proud, pleased, "this
  milestone", "next chapter", "we look forward to".