Is it a good look to get so angry during an interview that you rip off your microphone or earpiece, get up and stomp off while still on camera? Absolutely not!
Even if you feel a reporter is treating you unfairly during an interview, you should strive to maintain your composure. If you don’t, any messages you have delivered will get lost and your behavior is all your audience will remember.
During a Washington Post-sponsored streaming discussion of the 2024 election, columnist and radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt became upset over comments made by a reporter. Instead of controlling his emotions, Hewitt lost his composure and abruptly ended the discussion. It wasn’t a pretty sight, as you will see in the clip below.
Whatever messages Hewitt wanted to communicate during the discussion were blown up by his behavior, which went viral within hours. Perhaps Hewitt had good reason to be upset, but he should have taken a deep breath and kept calm. Instead, his behavior, not his messages, became the news.
The lesson is clear. Don’t let a reporter’s questions or conduct unnerve you to the point of becoming visibly angry. As difficult as it might be, stay calm. And, unlike Hewitt, don’t let anyone see you sweat!