Make an expert comment specific enough to quote

‘Businesses must adapt to a changing world’ sounds like a comment but explains almost nothing. A quotable observation needs a defined subject, an actual point of view and enough context to be understood outside the full conversation. Specificity is more useful than trying to sound authoritative.

Find the narrow question

Ask what the journalist is trying to understand and where the spokesperson has relevant knowledge. A general request about remote working might become a narrower question about documenting decisions across time zones. The narrower subject gives the speaker room to explain a mechanism or trade-off rather than offering a sweeping claim about every workplace.

A hypothetical comment could read: ‘A written decision record is useful when colleagues work at different times, but only if it identifies what was decided. A transcript full of suggestions leaves the absent colleague to guess.’ This provides a distinction and a reason. It does not require an invented statistic or a claim that one method works for all teams.

Make the evidence visible

If the comment relies on research, identify the source and describe its scope accurately. If it is a professional judgement, present it as a judgement rather than disguising it as a universal finding. Avoid attaching a precise number to an observation simply because numbers appear more credible. A clearly bounded explanation can be useful without quantification.

Give examples that illuminate the point, but distinguish hypothetical examples from actual experience. Do not invent a client, imply access to private evidence or claim a spokesperson has done work outside their experience. Their relevant role should explain why they can address this question, not act as a substitute for a sound answer.

Edit for a clean meaning

Remove throat-clearing phrases and keep the central claim near its explanation. Read the strongest sentence on its own. Would it become misleading if quoted without the following paragraph? Move an essential qualification into the sentence or immediately alongside it. Do not bury the boundary after several unrelated points.

Check the finished comment with the named speaker and ensure the attributed role is current. Provide a contact for a follow-up question, since a useful written comment may begin rather than end the discussion. You can offer clear language, but the journalist decides whether and how to use it. The aim is an accurate contribution, not a guaranteed quotation.