When it comes to media exposure, executives have a lot in common with celebrities.  Whether they are trying to put the best light on a negative story or "sell" viewers on their products/services; executives need to shine in media interviews.  The best way to assure that is to work with a media trainer or coach.  Many celebrities do and so do politicians.  Those in the entertainment field have the edge when it comes to "camera presence" but politicians rate higher on "message development".  True media pros are at ease on camera and stay on message.  That takes practice.  It's also a good idea to watch a lot of media interviews and learn from others' mistakes and successes.  Here are a few examples...

Dethroned beauty queen Carrie Prejean did more damage to her reputation during her recent interview with Larry King.  Accusing the host of "being inappropriate" was odd and taking off her mic and threatening to walk off was  just silly.
There are better ways to get your interviewer to move on to another question without making a fool of yourself.

Another lesson may be learned from watching Kristen Stewart's interview on the Today show this week.  The young actress is getting plenty of media attention for her portrayal of "Bella" in the new Twilight saga.  But she flopped in this interview.  Fans began to tweet about how bored she looked and they were right. Her eye contact and body language were equally bad.  To be fair, Stewart was ill and maybe she isn't a morning person.  But an interview on NBC's Today is a big deal and no one should take it lightly. 

And finally, love her or hate her, Sarah Palin is staying on message and coming off very comfortable in her book tour interviews. She is much more in control this time around.  If she ever decides to run for President, the questions will get  tougher, but it appears she has learned a lot from her past media mistakes.