Claim: Media Publishes Interview that didn't Happen
Could you be quoted when you didn't communicate with the media?
A headline you don’t see everyday:
Clint Eastwood said he never gave interview published in Austrian paper and it's 'entirely phony'
I’m not sure about you but I don’t know what to believe. Is it plausible that Eastwood is telling the truth and that he never spoke with the newspaper in Austria? Or is he forgetting or, for whatever reason, denying what did transpire?
While I won’t claim I know for certain, in this moment, I’m choosing to believe Eastwood and question and doubt the reporter and media outlet in Austria. If what Eastwood has claimed is accurate, this is an important story.
A publication publishes an article that attributes quotes to someone, in this case a well-known person, that the source didn’t communicate. You can see how problematic that can be for someone’s name, credibility and reputation.
In short, there is significant risk there and a grand opportunity for nefarious people to cause harm and injure unsuspecting people.
The good news is that Eastwood likely has earned the benefit of the doubt from the large segment of society that might care about this story. It’s important to note however that this just isn’t about him, Hollywood and entertainment.
It’s about words being put into someone’s mouth and attached to their name that may not have been communicated. Of course, that’s unethical, immoral and I’d assume, quite possibly illegal.
If that type of published or broadcasted communication slips by our truth “radar” then a lot of pain, some of it devastating, can take place in someone’s professional and personal life.
It’s something to watch for moving forward.
Michael Toebe is the specialist at Reputation Intelligence, helping individuals and organizations with matters of credibility, trust, decision analysis, communications, relationships and reputation.
You can DM him on Substack or contact him below for consulting, risk analysis, coaching, ongoing advisory, a variety of proactive and responsive communications and reputation (not legal) representation.
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