Don't get penned in by the way the reporter phrases a question - answer by giving what you regard as the relevant facts amplified by your most persuasive key message.

Example:

Q. Either the ABC Life Insurance Company is gouging the consumer or the consumer is a skinflint who doesn't want to pay a fair price for insurance. Which is it?

A. Neither. Our policyholders generally want to pay a fair price for their insurance. And we at ABC Life Insurance respond to our customers needs by setting premiums as low as we reasonably can.

Don't speculate - just give the facts and one of your key messages.

Example:

Q. If your premiums are fair, why are consumer advocates so convinced that you're gouging your customers?

A. That's certainly not the case. Our premiums are a fair reflection of the cost of providing consumers with those policies best suited to their insurance needs. And we want consumer advocates and our policyholders to be aware of this.

Don't respond judgmentally to third- party quotes - the reporter wants you to say something derogatory about the third-party, and thereby generate controversy. Instead, set the record straight by giving the relevant fact and weaving in a key message.

Example:

Q. I have a statement here from Robert Smith, who owns a company that distributes generic drugs. And I'm quoting him directly: "The ABC Drug Company and other brand-name drug manufacturers are gouging the Canadian public by keeping lower-priced generic drugs off the market." Is Mr. Smith is telling the truth?

A. The situation is not as the quote describes. Patent protection ensures that brand-name manufacturers will have sufficient funds to conduct the costly research needed to develop new medications.

Don't repeat negative questions or derogatory comments - simply set the record straight by giving the correct fact and weaving in a key message - as in the above example.

Don't ask the reporter to clarify a question - if the question is ambiguous, choose the most obvious interpretation and answer that. Asking for clarification makes you look evasive.