BBC quotation marks

[itdoesnthavetobefun]

Why are the BBC putting in quotation marks in the articles about Duffy.

It feels like they only do this when discussing rape.

We believe you

I would guess it's because they're quoting her.

Because, as the BBC say at the end of the article you are referring to, they have tried to contact Duffy for confirmation that the information on an Instagram account that bears her name is genuine – and they haven't had that conformation. Other news sources are just accepting that it's genuine.

I know it's difficult to believe sometimes, but the BBC does have a high standard of journalism and the protocols include checking that sources are genuine and giving people an opportunity to clarify what they mean.

Grammy award-winning singer Duffy has revealed she was drugged and raped after being held captive by an attacker.

^ Copied and pasted from the first line of the story, no quotations.
But quotations used throughout the story when they are actually quoting her.
It does now say it is a verified Instagram account.
There's no implication they don't believe her (although I agree it does happen in other stories of the same ilk).

Here's an example:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51637265

Quotation marks are used throughout because they are quoting from what she wrote in her Instagram post. It's nothing more sinister than that. Quotation marks are used in the headline again because they are quoting directly from her Instagram account. For some reason people seem to believe that quotation marks used in headlines are casting doubt on the story - they're not. They're there to indicate that these are the words the person actually used.