I was misquoted on the front page of the Boston Globe!

Aren't you about to leave...who cares!?!?!?

I think you've done the right thing in e-mailing your professor first thing. I wouldn't think this would turn into anything, but, of course, I don't know the "politics" at BC.

 

You should write a letter to the editor and explain exactly what you explained here. Papers tend to issue "corrections" when presented with the truth.

 

oh my gosh!! you're Mark Mendola??? I've heard about you!! Scary!!

obviously kidding!

welcome to the fun of journalists...now you know why it's so frustrating for athletes, politicians, etc....i've been misquoted a couple of times...lots of fun!

 

that's nothing,

I got misquoted once on the front page of the Chronicle and got fired for it.

 

I was working at a famous bar near Rice University as an undergrad the year some idiot in Conroe drank himself to death (not my bar). He died in his car in the parking lot; I think. This was back when they still allowed 3 for 1s and penny happy hours and all those other specials. I think the story is he was jugging pitchers in a booth that friends were bringing him from the bar.

Anyhow, they indicted the bartender for manslaughter. First time in Texas, so they called other bartenders around town to get their take. First I said I can't be quoted on this because I don't know the facts. Then I made some joke about how we only serve beer so the guy would pass out on the way to the bathroom before he'd drink himself to death. Then after prodding from the journalist (and what I think is off the record) I make some defense of bartender how sometimes they don't really see who is drinking the drinks, and indictment for manslaughter is pretty outragious.

Turns out I was the ONLY bartender of 10 they quoted who defended the bartender against charges of manslaughter. All the other quotes were straight out of the TABC handbook about not serving more that 1 beer an hour, or something, and how "good bartenders" (tooting their horn) don't make that mistake, so that bartender is getting what he deserves. (And btw, the case was dismissed.) So, they put my quote on the frontpage and misquoted me by saying bartenders are too busy to watch patrons. ugh. that did not go over too well, to say the least.

fired

So, how do you say that the establishment and wreckless man/friends are more accountable than the guy attending to crowds at a counter. To this day, I think the bartenders can only get fined and lose their license, but not manslaughter...not sure though...and isn't that only when a drunk kills an innocent person...not some idiot downing 3 pitchers in 10 minutes or whatever it was.

 

no, I got fired because they printed the name of the bar with my quote.

Heypartner from Smeggy's Outback Lounge says bartenders are too busy to pay attention to who is getting drunk.

I'm willing to bet the owner got a call from TABC about that. That's just wreckless, just like them mentioning your prof's Shakespeare class. Just get the quote and name and don't bring anyone else into it.

 

Congratulations on making the front page of the Boston Globe!

Journalists write what they want and twist quotes to satisfy their needs. I was quoted/paraphrase once about finding work thru the internet and was not accurately represented, though no big deal. My wife was interviewed about being mixed and was quoted to have said that she struggled with her identity when she really had said it was no big deal at all.

 

Haven,

Now I see why you have those student loans. Boston College? Ouch! Great school, but are you feeling a little light in the wallet nowadays?

We've had some press about the University of Iowa over the years and the media always gets something not-quite-right, i.e., wrong, even when the details are the simplest. So I sometimes take my doses of media with a grain of salt.

 

I agree with you and I think the joke you made was actually pretty funny .

 

Internet is a scary thing...out of curiousity, I did a Google search on that name and found another quote from someone who posted something under that name...but I don't really think I should post it here...

 

So now I know where the "I was misquoted" line came from. It's a synonym for "you didn't hear that."


I am a bartender/waiter, and I don't adhere to the 1 drink an hour rule for a variety of reasons. ALso, I think the customer should be liable for his condition. If you're drunk, let us know and we'll get you a cab. But, as long as you are acting responsibly, we'll continue to serve you, within reason of course. Just don't call the manager and say "excuse me. I've been overserved."

 

I don't quite understand how you were misquoted? I can see the difference between 'debated' and just discussed, but other than that I'm a little lost??

 

Haven--

Don't sweat it. The thing to do is just what you did... talk to your boss (or prof) and explain the situation. (If you end up like crispee, you know you probably have a jerk for a boss.) If you're a regular quote machine and they're a regular reporter it doesn't hurt to voice your displeasure to the scribe as they'll often be more careful in the future because they depend on you for a story. Some of my best articles have come immediately after I complained to a reporter. In your case, it looks like a one-time quote so there's probably nothing to do on that end.

I work for a Federal land management agency in the west, and when we get wildfires, I often end up talking to the press. I quit counting the times I've been misquoted, but I know it's happened in at least the 11 western states. It's hard working with reporters in the first place, but when you add complicated fire science, firefighter terminology, weather, topography, biology, and a host of other factors, it's a guarantee that you'll be misquoted at some point. I once spent hours on the phone with a reporter who had never been west of Pennsylvania before and obviously didn't know the difference between a 100,000 acre wildfire and a bedroom candle. Of course, he completely mangled the story.

Being misquoted is like a making a clean half-court spike of a block and still getting called for the foul. It's not fun, but at least you're in the game.