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I was 18 when I first joined the Yorkshire Evening Post in Leeds as a cub reporter and it took only six months for me to be hauled before the editor at the time, Malcolm Barker, to be given the biggest dressing down of my life.

I had been covering the East Leeds 15 Community Committee – I will never forget that convoluted name until the day I die – and I had inadvertently attributed the wrong quote to the wrong person and it had gone into print.

As I recall it had been some pretty innocuous comment, but I had not accounted for the fact that the so-called ‘offended’ party had a solicitor for a son-in-law, and was fully intent on flexing his muscles by sending a letter to the editor! Personally it cost me a few ounces of pride and taught me a valuable lesson; if in doubt, check it out, and if you can’t check it out, leave it out! Write round the problem.

The news editor at the time, Fred Willis - the man who marched me down to the editor’s office like an irate father - continually drummed into me the need for accuracy. He would take my copy, look me in the eye and ask “….are you sure it’s Geoffrey with a G and not a J?”. If I hadn’t checked I would, occasionally, take a chance, stiffen my buttock cheeks and reply “yes” only to hear him say “…..bring me the man’s phone number. I want to ring him and check myself.”

Invariably I was found out, given a major telling off – that’s putting it politely – and sent shamefacedly back to my desk. I soon learnt to get it right first time. If you kick a dog hard enough it will eventually bite back.

It was a tough time for me and these days I pedal my trade in an environment where I am continually quoted employment law, and told “you can’t say this to your employees…..you can’t hurt their feelings…….you shouldn’t upset them”, and so on. But, I’m sorry, sometimes you just have to tell people how it is and wrong is plain wrong.

If you get your facts wrong in the printed or digital environment, it can not only upset people, but also land you in trouble. For example the one thing people own in life is their name, so if you spell Tracy without an ‘e’ when it should be Tracey with an ‘e’, then you have already lost the match. Poor spelling is the death knell for direct mail. If you get a name wrong in the address then the recipient immediately knows that YOU don’t know THEM! You’ve failed and failed miserably before they’ve even read the first paragraph.

Even worse is to get your facts wrong when writing a newsletter, a brochure or a piece of company literature. “I thought that’s what they said” is simply no defence for getting it wrong. Did you check? Did you telephone the interviewee and read your copy back to them before publishing? Did you, as a minimum, e-mail them a copy of your proposed editorial? If you didn’t then be 110% sure of your facts because you have just removed all lines of defence.

How about this little gem that someone once showed me:

JAMES IS OFFICE HEAD
JAMES IS OFF HIS HEAD

……but what’s a couple of letters between friends! Try telling that to James if you mistakenly print the latter!

So, let’s get down to the facts when it comes to writing even the simplest of things.

You’ve got to interview someone and produce copy from that interview. It might be a client for a press release,  a chairman for a feature comment, a newsletter, an annual report…..whatever. You have to write something.

At this point I want to tell you about the UK tabloid media – the US equivalent might be the National Enquirer. Traditionally they have written the ‘kiss and tell’ stories, those things that people love to read – even though they deny they do!

Often facts are obtained by less than honest means but, at other times, the facts are genuinely the product of an interview. However, interviewees do not always like the way their words have been interpreted and, once printed, may never do another interviewee with that tabloid journalist again.

That’s why tabloid reporters have an enviable reputation for getting every last detail at the first pass. Which brings me to my point. Carry out every interview you ever do as though it were the only one you would ever get. Imagine you were interviewing the President of the USA or the Prime Minister of England. You have five minutes to ascertain the necessary facts and that’s it. Interview your interviewee thoroughly and check your facts again, and again and again!

Record what they say accurately and do not be afraid to check the facts. I once remember doing a radio interview with Sir Geoffrey Howe, a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s government. I began my questioning “Mr Howe what do you………”. I was 15 seconds into the interview when he pompously pressed the pause button on my machine and said “It’s SIR Geoffrey”. Clearly that was important to him but, more to the point, I was wrong. Never assume!

………and in summary
Conduct your interview as if it is the only one you will ever have with the person in question
Interrogate them thoroughly and completely
Make an accurate note of what they say
Don’t be afraid to spell their name back to them, however straightforward it may appear
Check facts with them there and then. Don’t be afraid to repeat back to them what they have already said to you
Never assume. He who assumes makes an ASS of U and ME. How do you spell Smith? One man I know changed it by deed poll and spelt it Smiff!!
Be confident in what you are writing.
Make sure you can sleep at night because you are confident in what you have written.
If someone challenges you, be confident in your note taking. Can you read back your facts accurately and with confidence……in long hand or shorthand?
Be professional and hold your head up high knowing you have been the best you can be. Be accurate.
……………………………….here endeth the sermon!

Resources
Dictionary of Names: http://www.askoxford.com/dictionaries/name_dict/
How to proofread: http://www.scribblepad.co.uk/HowToProofreadYourWriting.html
The H2 Company: http://www.theh2.co.uk