JournalismFree
Pick the best quotes from a transcript
Paste an interview transcript and get the strongest quotes, copied word for word, with where each appears and anything to check against the recording.
River reads your interview transcript and picks the quotes worth using: the lines that are vivid, carry emotion or opinion, or say something only this person could say. Each one is copied exactly, with its timecode or location in the transcript, and a note on why it works and what to check before it runs.
This is the quick version of the job. For a full workup with a quote bank, every name and number listed, and a relisten list for lines likely misheard by the transcription, use River's interview transcript workup.
It is for reporters, students, podcasters and writers who have a long transcript and need the best few lines fast.
Choosing quotes that earn their place
Quotes are best used for what only the speaker can supply: emotion, opinion, personality, or a vivid way of saying something. Plain facts, such as a date or a budget figure, are usually better paraphrased and attributed. A story that quotes a source saying the meeting is at 7 p.m. has wasted a quote.
Quotes must be the speaker's exact words. Cleaning up grammar, merging sentences from different parts of an interview, or changing a word to make it clearer creates a quote the person did not say. When a line is too messy to quote, paraphrase it and attribute it instead.
Automatic transcripts make mistakes, especially with names, numbers and crosstalk. Before a quote runs, check it against the recording. And consider context: a line said as a joke or a hypothetical can read very differently on the page.
How it works
Paste the transcript
Paste it or attach the file, with timecodes if you have them.
River reads it all
The whole transcript is read before any quote is chosen.
Get the picks
The best quotes, exact and located, each with a note.
Check and use
Confirm flagged lines against the tape, then ask for more.
What you get
- The strongest quotes from the transcript, copied word for word
- The timecode or location of each quote, so you can find it on the recording
- A note on why each works and where it might fit in the story
- Lines better paraphrased than quoted, marked as such
- Flags on quotes to check against the recording or that could mislead out of context
Common questions
Can River clean up a messy quote?
No. Changing a quote, even to fix grammar, puts words in the speaker's mouth. River copies quotes exactly. If a line is too messy to use, it marks it as better paraphrased, so you can attribute the idea without quotation marks.
What if my transcript has no timecodes?
River gives the opening words of the passage and roughly where it falls in the interview, so you can still find it on the recording. Timecodes make checking faster if your recording app provides them.
How is this different from the transcript workup?
This tool picks the best quotes quickly. The interview transcript workup goes further, with a full quote bank, every name and figure listed with where it was said, and a relisten list for lines the transcription probably got wrong.
Should I use partial quotes?
Sparingly. A short quoted phrase inside your own sentence can capture a striking word, but too many partial quotes make the story choppy and can distort meaning. River prefers full quoted sentences and notes when a partial quote would be fairer to paraphrase.
Pick the best quotes from a transcript
Describe what you need, add any files you have, and your workspace opens with the work already underway.