5 ways to avoid being misquoted

There’s good news and bad news for spokespersons who have suffered an infuriating misquote.

The bad news is that you can never guarantee that a reporter will quote you correctly. But the good news is that you have a lot more control than you think—and you can dramatically increase the likelihood that the reporter will get your story right by using the following five techniques.

1. Give them the facts. The more you say, the more you stray. A lot of spokespeople get misquoted because they say too much. Instead of spending most of your interviews providing reporters with endless background, write a one- or two-page fact sheet that lays out the basic facts. Providing reporters with a written fact sheet in advance of your interview allows you to tell reporters what the story means rather than what it is. By doing so, your quote will contain your interpretation of the facts, instead of raw facts devoid of context.