The importance of precise communication
"Precision of communication is important, more important than ever, in our era of hair trigger balances, when a false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster as a sudden thoughtless act."
— James Thurber
posted by Frank Williams @ 9:20 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
I agree. I have a question for you though, when talking with the local town newspaper, how you make sure they properly quote you?
That is always a challenge. From the reporter's perspective, they are trying to transcribe everything you are saying, which is often impossible to do.
Here are a few practical tips:
1. Speak slowly; the faster you talk, the more difficulty they will have keeping up.
2. Keep it short. Make your point, then stop talking. The more you talk, the greater the chance you will be misquoted.
3. If you have an opportunity to prepare in advance, give the reporter a written statement.
4. If you give the reporter a written statement and then speak with them in person or on the phone, stick to your prepared remarks as much as possible. What you say in the interview will likely trump the written remarks.
5. If you are not sure they got it right, ask them to read the quote back to you to make sure you are on the same page. Do this immediately; once the article has run, it is too late.
I hope this helps.
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