Media reports often quote policymakers or independent experts when discussing proposed policies. Because these sources carry authority, strategically selecting them can be a driver of media bias. We conduct an online experiment using real news articles to examine how quoting experts versus politicians affects readers’ policy perceptions and information-acquisition behaviour. We find that politician quotes politicise technocratic issues and decrease support for technocratic decision-making. They can also make readers more likely to select partisan rather than independent information sources, though the effects vary by readers’ partisanship and by policy type.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​