I just received a call from a client of a client’s I interviewed for a story I wrote on e-commerce recently. Basically, he was giving me an earful for publishing numbers he quoted during the interview, even though nowhere during the session did he mention that those figures were P&C. After berating me for not being sensitive and sending the story to him for verification (not of the facts but for “publishable” and “unpublishable” statements), and explaining to him what the words “editorial prerogative” meant, I referred him to my editor.

First rule when talking to the press: NOTHING is “off the record”.