How to avoid a media misquote

Misquoted in a media interview? 

It might be because you rambled. 

A former newsroom colleague of mine used to get so frustrated with his interviewees’ long-winded responses he would take out his notepad and write down what they were trying to say.

And then he’d tear off the page and hand it to them saying, “Here, just say that.”

(Amazingly, some people did!) 

Fortunately, that was an extreme reaction. 

In most cases, a journalist will simply distil your response down to a short quote or soundbite. 

It's potentially dangerous territory to be in. 

News media quotes are shorter than you think

Timing in news is tight: think of your quotes in seconds

A typical online/newspaper quote is generally one or two short sentences. 

➡️ That’s 10 to 30 words. 

A television news soundbite can be as short as five seconds. 

➡️ At a speaking rate of three words a second, that’s just 15 words.

Edit your message before the interview

If you haven’t edited your message down to a simple media-ready statement, you can be guaranteed a journalist will do the job for you.

If your responses are too long, half of what you say will be paraphrased or discarded.

Context and nuance can be lost, and your quote may wind up conveying a meaning you never intended.

Crystallizing your position in just 15 words isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.

The New York Times still carries the slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print” on its print edition masthead.

The flip side is if your quote doesn’t fit, it won’t get used.

Road-test your messages with media training

A media training session will help you and your team refine your key points into concise, impactful language that stays true to your personal speaking style.

You will learn how to lead with your headline, support it, and know when to stop talking.

Edit first, or risk being edited out of context.