Doing an interview over the phone with a print journalist can be. Stress can be much easier than an interview with a TV reporter for the simple reason that you can use a cheat sheet. You should literally have your three messages, your sound bites for each message points written down on a single sheet of paper. Now, I hate to sound like I'm an old fogy anti technology and anti environment. But I'm still a fan of actual paper for this. Because if you're using an iPad, any other computer, it can fade out because a battery can lose a connection.

Things go on the fritz. If you do have all of your messages and sound bites up on a screen, then maybe a Facebook message pops in or some other instant message that can be distractions. Think about a piece of paper is a lot of distractions. Don't come with it. doesn't require any electricity, the power goes out and you still have a phone connection, you can stare at a single sheet of paper. So that's my recommendation, use a cheat sheet.

It's not ethically cheating, but keeps it so much easier for you because you only have one thing to look at. Now related to that, what I recommend is that you don't have your computer screens open and still have Facebook, it's still have your RSS feed. So the New York Times or other publications that you like, social media, zooming and popping and alerts going on. That's what a lot of people do during their media interviews. So they're losing their train of thought. Human beings are really not very good at multitasking.

We like to think we are I like to think I am, I'm not, you're not, we're good at focusing on one thing at a time. So if a reporter's talking to you, then you're far better off just listening link to that reporter and staring at your cheat sheet much much, much better.