We'd all like reporters to ask us about our career successes and personal triumphs-heck, we'd all like anyone to ask us about those. But reporters must look out for their clients, the reading public. Think about it from your own perspective as an investor-when you read a story about a company, you want to know that the reporter has asked difficult questions, not just relied on the PR hype.

So don't get offended when reporters ask tough or skeptical questions. It's their job. Chances are an unhappy customer, unwilling prospect, or unfriendly rival has dished out worse to you!

No matter how uncomfortable the line of questioning, never, ever, mislead, attempt to conceal crucial facts, tell an untruth, or otherwise try to manipulate the media. We all know that lying is wrong, but that's not the only reason that I always oppose it. Aside from any moral considerations, misleading the media always backfires in the end. Sometimes, way sooner.

I have seen countless examples of this. Remember Watergate? Very often, the fib starts out early, as an insignificant story. But it tends to get magnified a little down the road ? and pretty soon, a minor embarrassment turns into a major fiasco. Eventually, it's the lie that becomes the story, not the original story itself.

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.