The Power of the Quote
Media, like any powerful tool, has the capacity to cause both tremendous good and tremendous harm. The relationship between a media outlet and a source works best when both parties have a shared understanding of their goals and are working within the same rules and boundaries regarding accuracy, transparency, and accountability. Even then, a media source can end up being misquoted or misconstrued. Journalists, editors, and technology professionals are fallible, and whether the incident is the result of slipshod work or an honest mistake, the result can be upsetting.
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June 2023“I haven’t ever been purposely misrepresented, but if too many contextual words are removed from your quote during the editing process, it can definitely appear that you mean something different or are taking credit for something that many researchers have worked on, which was the case for me once,” recalled Zara Patel, MD, professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, Calif. “I was so chagrined when I read it, thinking of how this would sound to the other many scientists who have pushed the field forward.”
Dr. Patel used that unfortunate experience to initiate a new practice when working with media. “Now, I always request to see the final article before publication—some media sources will allow that,” she explained. “Others will allow you to review only your own quotes. Either way is better than having an unpleasant surprise after publication.”