I felt like channeling Patrick Henry who famously narrowed down the options for himself to liberty or death in his bid to persuade the Virginia House of Burgesses to commit Virginia’s troops to the Revolutionary War. Not because I’m a history buff, but because a news article I just came across effectively illustrates how media outlets create strong perception and meaning–and curiosity–in their headlines and “teasers”, only to reveal more innocuous meaning in follow-up content. Kind of like mouth-watering sizzle before serving a luke-warm steak.

Take this article from Reuters I clicked on because of the headline and its implications.

Clinton wishes he had left White House “in a coffin”, is what it says. And the meaning this creates in most minds is what? That Bill Clinton lost the will to live once his time at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was up. That he’d rather be dead than live as a regular citizen. That of course would be shocking if it were true, but alas, it isn’t. Because here’s what he really said, according to the Reuters article one paragraph into it:

“It’s good that we have a (term) limit. Otherwise I would have stayed until I was carried away in a coffin. Or defeated in an election.”

Oh, that’s it? Congratulations. Headline: 7, Content: 0. He simply liked being President so much that he could have done it forever. And he framed that sentiment in a humorous exaggeration. But that’s a lot less interesting than a post-presidential death-wish isn’t it?

How is this relevant to the presidents and chief executives of corporations who interact with the media to get their message out? It is if you consider that most people just skim headlines to manage a daily flood of information online and -off. That means most people only get the hyped meaning and not the real story behind an interview you gave or an unguarded comment you made to a reporter.

It’s not always avoidable, but vigilant awareness when speaking to the media can save savvy executives from misperceptions a crafty reporter’s headline can create.