If you make a habit of never telling a reporter something that isn’t true, you will never have to remember what you told them.  Lies can come back to haunt you.  I know some readers are thinking, “this is advice?!”  It’s obvious you shouldn’t lie to reporters. Isn’t it? Well, think about these scenarios:

“He’s out of the office.” (When he is sitting right at his desk.)

“Her schedule is too full to accommodate this interview.”  (When you really mean “she won’t want to be interviewed about this topic.”)

“No. I didn’t know that.”  (When you know full-well what they are talking about.)

“Sure I can do an interview; I know ALL about that!”  (When you really mean:  I’m typing it into Google right now, ’cause I really have no clue, but I really want the media hit!)

In all of these cases, the response vs. reality is at odds.  I’d also include any errors of omission.  Any form of obstruction, half truth, white lie, or omission will be seen as an attempt to hide something.  Just don’t do it.  Ever.