3 Keys to Getting Quoted
June 5, 2026
You’ve likely had this experience if you are a philanthropic leader.
You connect with a journalist for an interview, answer the questions, provide your perspective, but your name, organization and insights are boiled down to one sentence in the ninth paragraph of the story — if they make it in at all.
As any leader or communication professional knows, that's just sometimes the way it goes. There are myriad reasons as to why a journalist frames a story a certain way.
But there is a secret to help your quote rise to the surface amid the sea of people trying to make their voices heard: Offer up inspiring, compelling, or bluntly honest quotes.
“Paul Bunyan couldn’t put a dent in what we are aiming to achieve” has a far greater chance of getting a starring role in a story than, say, “As part of our core mission, we aim to plant more trees throughout the county.”
The Bunyan quote is going to ignite a spark in a good reporter – and, frankly, it makes their job easier. A quote like that can help set up a catchy lead to the story or at least end up in the top three paragraphs. And that’s not just good for you, it’s good for getting your organization’s story out there in a creative way.
Some people just have a natural knack for stating things in unique ways, but for the rest of us, here are three tips to consistently offer up compelling quotes.
1. Aim to inspire: A conversation with a journalist is not the time to get into the weeds of an issue or use a lot of boring jargon. Yes, details are important and provide context, but you can always have someone follow up with the nitty-gritty stuff.
Instead, focus on speaking in ways that inspire or surprise. For instance, if you’re talking about the benefits of an early childhood program, pivot to the potential – “Every time I step into one of these classrooms, I like to fast forward to the future, imagining each child 25 years from now, hustling off to a meaningful job, coaching their own kid’s soccer team, helping build a house for those in need. This program helps start those futures right here, right now.”
2. Offer up a meaningful metaphor: Metaphors are tools that help us more easily understand things that may be new, complex or confusing. And journalists love good ones that help tell the story. A great example came from Steve Jobs in the earlier days of Apple, when a lot of people didn’t have a deep understanding of personal computers.
“What a computer is to me is the most remarkable tool that we have ever come up with. It's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.”
Everyone knows what a bicycle is and what it can do for the body. After reading Jobs’ quote, they had a better idea of what it could do to support their thinking and creativity.
3. Speak the truth: There are times, usually those that involve a crisis or major challenge, that you don’t need to be clever or creative. You just need to be honest, even if that makes you or your organization appear vulnerable.
A quote that is truthful, to the point, and doesn’t leave wiggle room can help boost your credibility and confidence in your organization.
A good framework is to acknowledge the problem or mistake, take clear accountability, and then quickly pivot to the plan to help prevent further issues or escalation of the problem.
Of course, even with the best preparation, your quote is never guaranteed to get top billing – or even get published. But by preparing and practicing, you can increase the chances of your story being amplified by your voice and insight.
And you can quote us on that.
