When reading the newspaper, a magazine, a text book, etc., etc. --what do quotation marks around a phrase indcate?

Well I believe, and I hate to state the obvious in case I am missing something here, but quotation marks indicate a quotation.
In novels they are used to indicate conversation, which I suppose is still a quote.

Hi spak....I'm gonna start by splitting hairs and ask you to define 'quotation.'

For example, in your history text, Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, "Four score and seven years ago, our fore-fathers......"
Is that what he said?

President Kennedy, in his inaguration speech, if you look it up in your text, said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
How do we know that's what he said?

And how does this differ from, for example, Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," which begins, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times..."

I'm playing with you a bit, my friend, but I think you'll find what I'm getting at very interesting and, unless I've lived under a rock or went comatose, I went through high school, college, then got a Master's degree...and never knew this!!!

R Davenport,

From "The Associated Press Sylebook and Libel Manuel," The Associated Press, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts, 1994, page 262:

- - - - start of quotation from "Stylebook" - - - -

"The basic guidelines for open-quoted marks (") and close-quote marks ("):

FOR DIRECT QUOTATIONS: To surround the exact words of a speaker or writer when reported in a story:

"I have no intention of staying" he replied.
"I do not object," he said, "to the tenor of the report."
Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned."

RUNNING QUOTATIONS: If a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph that contains the quotation, do not put close-quote marks at the end of the first paragraphs. do, however, put open-quote marks at the starts of the second paragraph. Continue in this fashion for any succeeding paragraphs, using close-quote marks only at the end of the quoted material.

DIALOGUE OR CONVERSATION: Each person's words, no matter how brief, are placed in a separate paragraph, with quotation marks at the beginning and the end of each person's speech:
"Will you go?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Thursday."

NOT IN Q-and-A: Quotation marks are not required in formats that identify questions and answers by Q: and Q:

- - - - end of quotation from "Stylebook" - - - -

Please note that:

1. My computer entry for quotation uses the same symbol for "open-quote" and "close-quote," so there is no distinction between the two above (as there should be).

2. I did not follow the rule for "Running Quotations" by starting each paragraph with a quote in order to avoid confusion by the addition of additional quotation marks. However, I did effectively indicate that I was quoting via the dotted lines. (You may note my answer to the "Tough question on poisonous substance - HELP" question in this forum to see an example of proper use.)

Hope this helps since the Stylebook is the rulebook for reporters. It's in my personal library.

Cordially,

Russ

Well, Rich - in President Kennedy's case, the way I know that's what he said is because I watched him say it. Live. On National TV. That's what he said.

As for President Lincoln's address, afraid I missed that one. I have to rely on history's account.

------------------
Gunslinger
'Slipping the surly bonds of earth, to dance the skies on laughter-silvered wings'

Hi.....well, Russ, I was under the same impression as you; I was taught and have used and assumed as true and correct all of the tenets as outlined in your reply. It appears that spak has followed these rules as well. But, guess what? We've all been wrong! Here's a little quiz that will give away the answer:

*Do quotation marks guarantee accuracy?
*Do you assume that phrases in quotation marks represent the exact words of the person being quoted?
*Can journalists change the actual words spoken, yet still enclose them in quotation marks?

In a recent case before the US Supreme Court, Jeffrey Mason vs. Janet Malcolm, some rather surprising issues came to light. Malcolm had written a critical article about Mason in the New Yorker magazine. She quoted Mason at length. Mason claimed that he never said several items Malcolm quoted him as saying; items that were enclosed in quotation marks. Mason sued for liable, citing deliberate misquotes were used to make him look bad. The lower court threw the case out; Mason appealed to the Supreme Court. During the suit, it came to light that Journalists have long felt free to "... make changes in quotes as long as these changes did not alter the substance of the spoken word." Simple words/phrases are often substituted for more complex ones; long quotes are shortened and summarized; often times, the meaning of the spoken words /phrases are changed.

As part of the cours review, the following was stated, "The reading public has now been alerted that the use of quotation marks is not and never has been certification that the words quoted are not neceaasrily those spoken by the person interviewed."

Why, you're probably wondering, haven't more people sued? Because the courts have required the plaintiff to prove 'malice'- meaning a 'reckless and malicious disregard for the truth', and the courts to date have taken the position that, "...putting words in one's mouth does not represent malice..." so cases have never gone to court.....that is until the Mason vs. Malcolm issue that has been sent back to the lower court to be heard.

So, Honest Abe might have said, "A long time ago, some old dudes..."

President Kennedy might have said (had Gunslinger not heard it broadcasted), "don't just sit there and expect a hand-out, get up off of your *** and work for it..."

Incidentally, specifics for this post came from Alan Dershowitz, Esq.

Rdavenport,

That was a great entry on current interpretation of the use of quotations. It doesn't say much for the ethics of professional journalism.

Thanks for the info. I'm saving that for future use.

Cordially,

Russ