Preparation is the most important element of a media interview. Preparation leads to a clearer and more articulate presentation by you, which increases the likelihood that the reporter will accurately report exactly what you said. Utilize these tips for interview preparation, and you will spare yourself from the agony of the dreaded misquote.

1. Stay on point. Before a media interview, create and rehearse the very brief key messages you want to deliver to the reporter, and restrict your comments to only those messages. Be alert to the questioning, and steer any questions that stray from your key messages toward a response that is on point and advantageous to you. Focus in; don’t wander from your message even if your answer doesn’t exactly fit the question. Remember that you never hear or see the questions that reporters ask!
2. Be aware of the context. Focus on the language you are using and how you are framing your answers. Remember that a reporter can quote any part of what you say, so be sure to stay "on message” and within context, so that your response is less likely to be misconstrued. Remember to speak using small sound bites that are so colorful you know they will be quoted.
3. Everything you say is fair game! Be wary of making casual comments either before or after what you think is the "official" or on-the-record interview. Everything you say is part of the interview, unless it is expressly agreed that specified information is being given to the reporter “on background” and is not for attribution to you. In most circumstances, it is best to refrain from even wading into the off-the-record waters. If you do speak to a reporter on background, only do so with the most trusted of media contacts.
4. Emphasize only important details. Reporters sometimes fail to fully appreciate the importance of a single phrase or word when it comes to describing criminal charges. If it is important that a quote be worded a certain way, emphasize the exact language with the reporter, and even offer the option of emailing your quote to him or her so that there is no discrepancy. It’s ok to find out before the interview how much the reporter knows and understands about the underlying legal issues.
5. Ask for a read-back. It is permissible to ask the reporter to read back to you what he or she thinks will be used as your quote. Some reporters may refuse, but some will do it, particularly if you develop a congenial rapport with them. In many cases, a read-back can help a reporter as much as it helps you. When dealing with large news organizations, you may also get a call from a “fact-checker,” a person who literally checks the facts of a given story, and whom you can certainly ask for a read-back.

Tom Stanton is an Account Supervisor in Jaffe’s public relations group and has handled White Collar PR related to numerous high profile investigations, indictments and trials. Tom also served four years as a spokesman for the Cook County (IL) State’s Attorney’s office in Chicago. He can be reached at stantont@jaffeassociates.com or www.jaffeassociates.com.