Being a Press Secretary for the past two years, I am constantly quoted in newspapers and magazines. So when I pick up a paper and see my name, it comes as no surprise to me – except when my name is next to something I never said.

Last night, I received an “urgent” call from the one of our City’s “news”papers because they heard a “rumor” that Former President Bill Clinton was sleeping at his new Manhattan office. They then asked me for an on the record statement as to whether or not he was allowed to do this. I said that in an emergency situation, or once in a blue moon, one is allowed to sleep in their office, but not on a regular basis, because that is a violation of the building’s legal use.

When I came to work this morning and picked up the paper – instead of reading the on the record statement that I gave them last night – the article stated the following:

City Buildings Department Spokesman Paul Wein said it wouldn’t be legal for Clinton’s office to double as a boudoir.

Besides the fact that I have never used the word “boudoir” in my whole life – it really angers me when the press purposely and knowingly alters what I say to make their story more “sexy”. This is not the first time they did this to me – and I know it won’t be the last time they do this to me either – and the worst thing is that there is absolutely nothing I can do. They won’t print a correction, they won’t retract the misquote – and they certainly won’t apologize, so everyone who reads that article today will think that is exactly what I said.

And besides, how is Clinton sleeping in his office a top story anyway? I mean, to put a story entitled, “Those Controversial Clintons” on Page 8, mention a Page 5 story entitled, “Why Tom And Nicole Are Busting Up” on the front page – but bury a story entitled, “Docs Trying To ‘Grow’ New Fingers For Girl – It Could Mean Hope For Thousands Of Amputee Patients” on Page 25 shows precisely why they manipulated my quote – because their idea of a top story is divorce and scandal instead of hope and medical breakthroughs – and this is a “news”paper?

But moving past the fact that I am mad at them for misquoting me for just a moment – it is pretty funny if you think about it. All day today, everyone at work has been calling me “The Boudoir Man” and pasting the now infamous misquote all over the office. One of my colleagues even said that I should be happy – because its not every day that you get to publicly insult a Former President – which in some countries is punishable by death. I guess it is funny – but it still ticks me off when papers do this to me.

So I think the moral of this story is that you shouldn’t believe everything you read. Sometimes the person that is quoted did not say what precedes his or her name. Take it from me – I know first hand.