On cue with Kafui DEY: Speak so they don’t misquote you: Media clarity for the modern leader

If you’ve ever read a newspaper and thought, “But that’s not what I meant!”, congratulations — you have unlocked Level One of Media Reality. As someone who has spent years interviewing business leaders, politicians, CEOs, football administrators and the occasional overconfident spokesperson, I’ve learned one thing: people rarely get misquoted; they often get misunderstood.

And misunderstanding usually begins with unclear communication.

In today’s fast-moving media environment — from radio morning shows and press briefings to podcasts and LinkedIn posts — leaders across Africa don’t just need to speak. They need to speak clearly. Because clarity is the difference between a headline that reads:

“CEO Announces Expansion Plan”
and one that reads:
“CEO Hints at Mysterious Big Move, Investors Panic”

Let’s avoid the panic.

 Say one thing at a time, not everything you know

Many leaders treat media interviews like loading a truck before a long journey—everything must enter. Background, sub-background, history, context, sub-context, personal reflections, and a quick story from boarding school.

Slow down.

When asked a simple question like “What are your 2025 priorities?”, some executives begin with the company’s founding in 1972 before taking a scenic route through the national budget, global inflation, and their grandmother’s proverb about patience.

Journalists are not archivists.
Speak in one clear idea at a time.
Your audience will thank you, and so will the headline writers.

 If you don’t want it quoted, don’t say it

There is no such thing as “off the record” after the fourth bottle of water and the third microphone in your face.

I once hosted a guest who leaned back during a commercial break and said something “just between us.”
When we returned on air, he forgot we were live and repeated the same statement — verbatim. The control room froze. I froze. His PR team melted.

If a thought is not ready to be printed, tweeted, recorded, clipped or forwarded to 10 WhatsApp groups in 30 seconds, kindly keep it as a thought.

Think in soundbites (without sounding like a robot)

Soundbites are not clichés.
They’re clarity in compact form.

Great leaders prepare memorable phrases that summarise their message. Not memorised speeches — just clean, crisp lines that help the audience remember the point.

For example, instead of saying:
“We are currently evaluating multiple strategic pathways that will enhance operational efficiency and drive sustainable value across all regions,”

try:
“We’re simplifying how we work so we can serve customers faster.”

One is designed to impress the board.
The other is designed to inform the public.
Guess which one gets quoted accurately?

 Avoid the “CEO paragraph”

Ah yes, the CEO paragraph: that majestic creation where a leader speaks for four minutes straight without a full stop.

If your sentences are so long they need a visa to travel from beginning to end, journalists will pick the safest part and quote that — usually the part you didn’t want emphasised.

Short sentences are not a sign of simple thinking.
They’re a sign of powerful leadership.

 Slow down. Really. Slow. Down.

When leaders panic, they speak faster.
When journalists struggle to understand you, they guess faster.

I once interviewed a brilliant executive who spoke so fast I wondered if he inhaled rocket fuel before coming on air. The audience missed half of what he said, and he complained later that he’d been misquoted.

Clarity begins with pacing.
Talk like you expect people to follow you — not chase you.

The bottom line: clarity is a leadership skill

In a world where one sentence can move markets, one phrase can spark internet drama, and one unclear answer can derail a brand, today’s leader must master media clarity.

Your job is not just to tell your story.
Your job is to make your story understandable.

And if you need help crafting messages, sharpening interviews, or ensuring your next media appearance goes exactly the way you intend? Well, that’s why this column exists.

Until the next time, speak well, speak clearly, and may no headline ever surprise you again.

>>> Need coaching? Email [email protected] today.

The post On cue with Kafui DEY: Speak so they don’t misquote you: Media clarity for the modern leader appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

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