Absolutes Are Absolutely Easy to Get Quoted

There is absolutely no easier way to get quoted in the media than to use a phrase like absolute MUST NEVER.

Reporters love absolutes.

They’re trying to bring clarity to an issue they can’t generally use absolutes.

They can’t say absolutely this will happen over my dead body this will happen or won’t happen.

But they love quoting people like you using an absolute so if you can state something with a never must always have to.

Now some of you are saying oh wait a minute T.J.

The one thing they tell us in corporate relations in the legal department don’t use absolutes.

That’s going to set us up for trouble.

Again it all depends on what the message is.

You can’t just randomly have sound come out of your mouth and hope that it works in the final story.

It only works if it’s 100 percent on your message.

So if your message is we absolutely make safety our number one concern that could be a sound bite.

It’s hard to see how anyone is going to be upset about that within your corporate structure.

That message might not be interesting to the reporter.

Depends on the topic of the day but if it is.

That would be quoted.

So don’t forget absolute always never have to must putting an absoluteness to it brings it urgency to it makes it more interesting more compelling and more quotable.