"Said"

The author of the Writing For the Media book says that one should not look for substitute words for “said.”  I think that this depends entirely on the article or story.  The context will help someone to determine whether or not to use the word said.

For example, straight news stories will often use said in interviews because they want to get their point across simply, without confusion.  They also must tell the story exactly as they know, and the cannot be biased and use their opinion in the story.  Feature stories, however, are more stylistic and can use more descriptive words such as exclaimed or yelled.

Also, in stories that use only said, there can also be descriptive words around the word “said.”  Someone can say something angrily or happily or excitedly.  This can add color to the story that is not present by simply said that someone “said” something will happen.

Articles that are straightforward often use said, so that they remain simple and easy to read.   The interviews are an important part of the news, so they say said in order to show the important of the quote, rather than how the person said it.  In feature stories it is equally important to know how the person spoke, so other adjectives may be used to communicate the emotion to the reader.  Stories with the conflict and impact news values may also use words besides “said” in order to show the importance and feeling of the article.

Although there is most likely no right or wrong answer to the word “said,” I think feature stories and stories with more color should include more interesting and descriptive words.