To be pissed off that our press office released a statement under my name without running it past me first

[Palmtreeswater]

A potentiality false statement about a serious incident.

I work in a very senior role but surely the press office shouldn't be releasing a statement saying I said it and putting my signature on the end of the statement without running it past me first?

No of course that’s not right. You need to get on to them immediately. If there’s any backlash whatsoever, you will be the sacrificial lamb, especially if it contains false information (you should also look into whether it’s possible they did this on purpose so they could put out lies but have someone to blame if they get caught).

@CitizenFame

I have reported it internally.
The statement contains potentiality false information, we are still investigating the incident.

YANBU that sounds ridiculous. What possessed them to do that?

Well I’m not sure of your role or company but surely if it’s still being investigated they should either not release a statement yet or release one along the lines of “it’s still being looked into”?

@EL8888

Because they "didn't want to disturb" me! They usually run 'singed statements' past the person who's signature is on it.

@CitizenFame

Exactly.

*signed

There seems to be a fair bit of this going on recently.

Having worked as a press officer, I can’t believe someone ballsed up like that.

I issue press releases on behalf of our CEO. Whenever I include a quote from her, she either writes it herself or approves what I have suggested. It is highly unprofessional to issue a public statement containing a quote from a person who has never seen the text.

That is an epic balls up. PR do not have the authority to release press statements without sign off. Or they shouldn't!

@BlackberrySky

This is what usually happens here when the press team quote someone else.

Yep that's crazy. You should at least have seen what's going out if not signed it off depending on role/seniority/sector/incident. At this point you want a holding statement that internal stakeholders are happy with while you establish what's happened.

I work in this industry and that is staggering. Unthinkable that you would issue a quote on someone's behalf without running it past them. Even if it was something totally innocuous, let alone something like this.
Could a retraction on your part be issued or would that make it worse?

Personally, I'd be telling the Press Office that they'd better release a statement saying that your name was included by mistake and without your consent, otherwise you'll be issuing a separate press release to that effect.

@MrsMaglev

That's what I've suggested, a holding statement for the time being.

I have worked in comms/pr and this shouldn’t have happened. Are you sure the press officer was not told by someone higher up to attribute the quote to you though? So they felt like they had to as they were being told to by someone senior?

Do you mean potentially?

@DelphiniumBlue

I have reported it internally with the aim of that happening.

Is that you Dido?

@DarceyDashwood

Not sure but I'm going to ask around on Monday

@markzuckerbergsgreytshirt

Yep, sorry

Did you post about this before? This is at least the 3rd thread I’ve read like this in recent weeks

@UnaMujer

Nope

There must just be a lot of this going on then.