A story finally appeared in The Australian Financial Review featuring a client.  The interview was scheduled some weeks back.  In advance background materials were provided to the writer, and the client was prepped with a review of the core facts - and messages.

It’s a challenge to summarise a highly complex story in a 20 minute meeting.  Here the focus was a multi-million dollar project and how it would be implemented. 

The interview went well and the reporter did her homework.  She arrived well read and on point.  The client focused on the core issues.  In the end, the story was wonderful.  It captured the complexities of the project and well positioned all parties. 

Yet there was one mistake - a small error involving the number of people involved in bringing the project to fruition. 

So the client wanted us to correct the mistake and call the reporter.  In this instance it wasn’t worth the interference.  The reporter thinks well of the client and his company.  The project is positioned as a success.  Circling back over a minor error raises a petty issue. 

Public relations helps to limit misunderstanding and mistakes through careful preparation and well-considered approaches.  There will always be minor inconsistencies as a story gets transferred through a journalist to a newspaper to an end audience.  Yet the final reader will walk away with a good appreciation of our client company and their ability to deliver.  The only one who will know the inaccuracy is the client. 

Sometimes you have to live with the tiny errors to get across the bigger story.