Is there a proper way to quote something someone said in a press release without using the form: said Nate?

Solution 1:

There are many ways to quote someone in a news release without using "said" in the sentence. Here are a few:

According to Jeff Atwood, ...

Jeff Atwood let slip that ...

Jeff Atwood announced that ...

With a bit of a laugh, Jeff Atwood intimated that ...

In a press release, Jeff Atwood stated: ...

There are as many ways to say this as there are synonyms for "said" — and if you read many news articles you will know that journalists and their editors (if they have any) like to avoid dull repetition. So do public relations people.

As for setting off a quote with an em dash, that's usually reserved for epigraphs or collections of quotations.

Solution 2:

Both are acceptable, depending on the requisite flow of the release. "Quote," said Someone. is perfectly fine. Just reference some top corporations' PR areas and see how it's done. I always reference Apple PR on such things for professionalism and feel.