attribution
at-rih-BYOO-shun
/ˌæt.rɪˈbjuː.ʃən/
The practice of citing or naming the source of information, quotes, or evidence in a news report.
Essential for establishing credibility; proper attribution allows readers to judge the reliability of a statement.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'attribuere', meaning to hand over or assign to a tribe. The term evolved through Middle French into English, where it became a foundational pillar of modern objective journalism.
Word relationships
- citation: 'Citation' is common in academic writing; 'attribution' is the broader journalistic principle of identifying who said what.
- credit: 'Credit' expresses praise or acknowledgement; 'attribution' formally links a piece of factual data to its source.
- plagiarism: Plagiarism claims another person's work or words as one's own without attribution.
- anonymity: Anonymity suppresses the origin of information.
Commonly confused with
- byline: A 'byline' names the author of the entire article, whereas 'attribution' names the source of specific information inside the story.
Word family
- attribute (verb): To credit something to a particular source.
- attributable (adjective): Able to be ascribed to a specific source.
Collocations
- clear attribution
- source attribution
- proper attribution
- direct attribution
Example sentences
- "Without proper attribution, quote usage can easily be mistaken for plagiarism or unverified rumor." Newsroom ethics
- "The editor insisted on clear attribution, allowing the source to be identified as a 'senior intelligence official' rather than an unnamed contact." Anonymous sourcing
Memory hook
ATTRIBUTE = give TRIBUTE to the author or source who said it. Give attribution to pay tribute to the true source.
When not to use
Do not confuse with legal ownership or copyright licensing terms.
Fun facts
- In journalism, there are four levels of attribution: On the record, On background, On deep background, and Off the record.
Related words
Explore more words
credibility, citation, give credit, ascribe, editorial, discredit
Also appears in
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