In: Arendholz, Jenny (Hrsg.): The Pragmatics of Quoting Now and Then. Berlin, de Gruyter Mouton 2015, pp. 29-52 . ISBN 978-3-11-043175-9 (Druck-Ausg.); 978-3-11-042756-1 (Online-Ausg.)

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Abstract

Reporting statements from news sources is an essential part of news reports. Such statements are often transformed into narrative reports and indirect quotes, but they can also take the form of direct speech quotes. Direct quotes have always been used in news writing with a variety of different functions, such as providing colour to a news report and distancing the journalist from what is said. However, in recent data from online news sites these functions show some differences compared to earlier data from print newspapers. The aim of this study is to investigate these shifts and to explore the extent to which they depend on the new technological setting online. Looking at data from the Times Online from 2010 and comparing it to data from the printed Times from 1985 and 2010, I identify two main shifts in the function of quotes. On the one hand, the integration of source material from which the quotes are taken reinforces one of the functions, namely presenting reportable facts. On the other hand, the function of expressing personal experiences and emotions is much more prominent than in the print data from 1985. I argue that the first of these shifts is directly related to the different settings of print and online news, whereas the second shift has to be seen in the context of a more general trend towards more personalised news reporting.