Deck 10: How Do You Report What Sources Say

Question 1

If a source says something potentially libelous, a reporter can report that statement without fear of being sued, as long as the statement is in quotations and the source actually said it.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A news hook is the timely event from which your story hangs-the event that makes it relevant to your audience.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The legal definition of fair comment means the right to criticize, and it includes obvious overstatement or exaggeration.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Qualified privilege means that anyone, including a journalist, has the right to report what people with absolute privilege say as long as that report is full, fair and accurate-and be protected from libel.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of something a reporter would almost always quote, as opposed to paraphrasing it?

A) A statement of fact
B) A statement in which a source uses vulgar words for which the reporter doesn't want to take responsibility
C) A statement where a source says something unique or uniquely
D) An apt cliché

Question 6

Which of the following is the best way to provide contextual information for a quote?

A) "This horse doesn't have the pedigree that most Kentucky Derby horses have, but he's got more heart than all the other horses in the race combined," said Herb Graines, referring to his horse, Blue Smoke, one of the top contenders in Saturday's race.
B) "This horse doesn't have the pedigree that most Kentucky Derby horses have, but (Blue Smoke has) got more heart than all the other horses in the race combined," said Herb Graines, who owns the horse, one of the top contenders in Saturday's race.
C) Herb Graines said, "This horse doesn't have the pedigree that most Kentucky Derby horses have, but he's got more heart than all the other horses in the race combined." Graines was referring to Blue Smoke, one of the top contenders in Saturday's race.
D) All of the options are equally good.

Question 7

Which of the following describes correct punctuation for quotes in a print news story?

A) Punctuation belongs inside quotation marks if the quote ends in a period or comma.
B) Punctuation belongs outside quotation marks if the quote ends with a question mark.
C) Punctuation placement ultimately depends on whether it's a breaking news story.
D) All of the above

Question 8

Which of the following are ways in which journalists legitimize or marginalize the voices of sources?

A) When journalists decide which sources to include in a news story, they legitimize the sources they include more than the sources they do not include.
B) When journalists identify some sources by name and others by group-as simply "protesters" or "residents," for instance-they legitimize those whom they name more than those they do not.
C) When journalists decide which sources to quote and which to paraphrase, they are usually providing more legitimacy for the sources who get to say what they want in their own words.
D) All of the above

Question 9

Which of the following best defines hot news?

A) News stories that are so hot, most reporters don't want to take the assignment
B) News that concerns radiation, uranium or nuclear information that the government has traditionally made top secret
C) News that requires immediate dissemination because its importance makes it necessary to deliver it to audiences quickly
D) Celebrity news that is especially shocking

Question 10

Which of the following is the best description of the Court's stance regarding opinions and libel?

A) The Supreme Court ruled in Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. that any statement clearly labeled as opinion is protected by the First Amendment.
B) The Supreme Court ruled in Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. that any statement that is clearly labeled as opinion is protected by the First Amendment, as long at least two of the reporter's supervisors approve publication.
C) The Supreme Court ruled in Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. that even a column clearly labeled as opinion, or a statement that says it is an opinion, may still be grounds for a libel suit.
D) The Supreme Court ruled in Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co. that people who post defamatory opinions online deserve harsher penalties because of how quickly the Internet disseminates information.

Question 11

Correct the following quotes for style, punctuation and attribution form.
a. "I agree with the complainants, I'm just not sure that the city council is the best group to address their complaints." the mayor expressed.
b. "We are so lucky to live here; we need to work together to find a solution for the Rodent infestation in our parks," the Mayor argued. "One that respects the environment."
c. Nurse Practitioner Johanna Sanderson, of the Student Health Center said: "It's a good time for students to get their flu shots, because it takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine to really kick in, a couple of weeks from now is when the flu itself starts making the rounds, students who get their shots now will be ready for it."

Question 12

Change each of the following quotes to paraphrases with correct style, punctuation and attribution form.
a. "I agree with the complainants, I'm just not sure that the city council is the best group to address their complaints." the mayor expressed.
b. "We are so lucky to live here; we need to work together to find a solution for the Rodent infestation in our parks," the Mayor argued. "One that respects the environment."
c. Nurse Practitioner Johanna Sanderson, of the Student Health Center said: "It's a good time for students to get their flu shots, because it takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine to really kick in, a couple of weeks from now is when the flu itself starts making the rounds, students who get their shots now will be ready for it."

Question 13

In three or four sentences, please explain why a journalist should not insert parenthetical statements into a source's quote. What is a better alternative?

Question 14

In three or four sentences, please a.) identify two errors in the way the following sentence is written and b.) explain what the error is:
• When asked if tuition would continue to rise, the provost said, "We try to keep tuition as low as possible because we know we have many students who go to school full-time and work a job or two to afford it."

Question 15

After reading through the following scenario, please a.) identify which quotes, if any, you would use, b.) write those quotes as they would appear in your story, using correct form, and c.) for each quote you use, justify your reasoning, using appropriate news values and legal and ethical principles in your answer.
Scenario: You've gleaned the following information from an accident report written by Trooper Ray Lee of the Colorado State Highway Patrol and confirmed it with him:
There was a man from South Dakota, who was riding his motorcycle, a 2009 Harley-Davidson Road King, northbound on U.S. Highway 550, from Silverton, Colorado, en route to Ouray, Colorado. This was yesterday at about 3:45 p.m. He lost control of his motorcycle, slid off of the right side of the road and hit the cliff wall there. His motorcycle rolled over him and slid across the highway and down a 200-foot cliff. He was motionless when Silverton authorities reached him about 10 minutes after the call to dispatch at about 3:45 p.m. He was transported by ambulance to the Silverton area, where a helicopter flew him to St. Mary's Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. He is alive, but word on his actual condition is not available.
His name is Bernard Kucich, and he is 52. He was not wearing a helmet. Authorities are still trying to determine what happened, such as how fast he was going. There were two witnesses to the accident, Nancy Ottison of Ouray, who was behind Kucich travelling northbound toward Ouray, and Cissy Stengel, who was travelling southbound toward Silverton.
You know that this is a two-lane stretch of highway that is popular for its scenic beauty, and you also know that it's dangerous because of the curves and lack of shoulders.
You have gathered the following quotes at the scene:
• Nancy Ottison: "Speed and maybe alcohol played a factor in the accident. He was swerving from when I started following him out of Silverton. There were no other vehicles involved."
• Trooper Ray Lee: "The unfortunate thing was he wasn't wearing a helmet, but I don't know if a helmet would've helped much in this situation. Then again, a helmet is better than no helmet any day."
• Silverton Search and Rescue volunteer Joe Menendez: "Man, that guy just bought it when he hit that cliff wall."
• Cissy Stengel: "I saw him coming from down the road, and then whoosh, he was into the cliff, and off went the bike off the cliff on the other side. Looked like maybe he hit some gravel, he wobbled some. I hope he's going to be okay."

Question 16

Please,a.) identify, describe and provide an example of one element that a plaintiff must prove in a bid for a successful libel suit, b.) identify, describe and provide an example of a second element that a plaintiff must prove in a bid for a successful libel suit, and c.) identify, describe and provide an example of a third element that a plaintiff must prove in a bid for a successful libel suit.