The difference one word makes…
Scott Baradell on Media Orchard posted a couple of great examples of how one word can change the tone of a quote from an interview - for instance, “could not” vs. “refused”.
Scott talks about reporters deliberately using certain words to reflect their view of the story, but I think more often than not, at least in smaller media markets, it’s simply a lack of understanding of the subtle (and even not so subtle) differences in meanings. Better educated journalists, both in literacy and in critical thinking skills, would go a long way to improve the situation.
Posted: June 27th, 2006 under Media Interview Trends, Tips for Interviewers.