Hi,

I have recently started writing about health related articles so I have a rather basic question. If I want to use a quote that is part of an organization's press release can I include it as- Mr. X spokesperson for the assocition says "----"? Or do I need to reference it as press release dated Jan 1etc.? I appreciate your advice.

Thanks

Include it as a regular quote, mentioning who said what. Be sure to integrate this quote in your text. And don't worry about not mentioning the press release!

Press releases are intended to get the word out, so to speak. Journalists and editors are permitted to use as much or as little of these releases as they wish, so feel free.
As a freelance journalist, I have done this many times!

I've written a number of press releases, and the biggest daily in my area uses what's in them as quotes as long as it is a quote in the press release. If it's not an actual quote in the press release, then you can still use it but don't turn it into a quote.

This sure helps. Sometimes actually finding a medical expert who has the time to answer you one-on-one can be difficult. Thanks

I concur. Writing 10-12 articles per week for our local weekly paper, I run into press releases all the time. (Interestingly, many of them are terribly presented and certainly open the door to hold a How to Write a Press Release workshop).

Anyway, the rules are straightforward. Good press releases will have actual quotes in them. Example: Dr. Jed Farraday said, "Now is the time to pull together on a cohesive strategy..." << This type of quote I directly use in articles. I take it out, word for word, and give credit to the speaker (in this instance Dr. Jed Farraday).

If there is information in the press release that is not in quotations, you are free to use that information any way you want - directly quoted from the press release (as in: The release stated, "Now is the time to pull....) or paraphrazed if you wish.

writerdave