Can you fix a hideous media experience?
Posted By susanharrow on August 8, 2005
I was so excited. I had been interviewed by the New York Times and I ran to the news stand to get the paper to see my name in it and read the illustrious article. Shock. I read my quotes, my ideas right there in the first few paragraphs–but they were attributed to someone else.
At first I thought that there was a mistake and read the whole article searching for my name. But there was nothing. I had talked to the reporter for an hour. He had taken diligent notes (lots of tap tapping on the computer), said he had a lot of good information, that he could use my quotes–and would.
Then the article came out. Well, he kept his word in a way. He did use a lot of what I said, it was just that in his piece, I didn’t say them.
What to do? Write to him and casually ask, “Whus ‘up?” Ignore it and just accept that this happens. I tell my students that they’ll get misquoted, misrepresented, have missed opportunities. And now it’s happened to me.
It’s been a couple of weeks now. I decided to let it go. But as the great writing teacher and author, Anne Lamott says, “Everything I let go of has claw marks on it.” Ditto.
Want to share your hideous media experiences and the fixes you wish you had done (or did)? Tell us how you got out of a tight fix, a murky bog, a sticky wicket. Do you have a great revenge strategy? Or a kind way to respond to such injustices?
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Hi Susan…
Great topic.
My hideous media experience?
Back in October 2002 I was interviewed for an article in The Wall Street Journal while I was attending the International Coach Federation’s annual conference. The writer asked great, thoughtful questions about the coaching profession, and the article appeared on the front page above the fold. I was practically vibrating with excitement.
As I began reading I saw that the writer misrepresented an exercise that Keynote speaker Ken Blanchard offered (and didn’t even say that the speaker was ken blanchard!) and I started to worry. As I read on it was clear that he thought we coaches were a pretty wacky and out-there bunch and he used every chance he could to push that point home.
He quoted me a couple of times in the article – and used an element of one of my quotes in the title of the article as well, so with his negative perspective I came off sounding like Queen of New Aged Woo-woo tribe.
At first I thought that my first really big press moment was a disaster, but it didn’t take long for me to look at it from another angle; since my writing groups are called (and all about) “Living Out Loud” then this article became a ‘coming out’ of sorts – a chance to practice what I preach. I had nothing to be ashamed of, and if Mr. Wall St. Journal thought I was “out there” well, if the shoe fits, I’ll dance in it!
I still keep the clipping (proudly!) in my press packet because if a writer/producer is in the market for a creativity coach who walks her talk (and gets quoted doing it), then I might just be the gal they’re looking for.
Thanks again for sharing all your insight, tips and fabulosity! Deb
The media is not obligated to use a person’s name or company name. Be clever and become “part of the story”.
An example: “The cremation rate in Marin County is the highest in the nation. I should know since I live in Marin, and Marin has become a no casket zone,” says Trisha Britt, public relations specialist in Mill Valley, California.
You mentioned something that’s really important–you can now claim you were in the WSJ. No one ever has to read that article, and discover you sounded like “Queen of New Aged Woo-woo tribe.”
Great quote Trisha. Yes, if you speak in soundbites and say relevant, quotable things the media are less likely to put you in a shoe that you’re not willing to dance in.