Great care should be taken with media conferences that involve alcohol.

Back in the 1970s, the press and booze went hand-in-hand. No one blinked at the three-martini lunch between a reporter and a news source. Reporters sometimes even met their sources at the local bar after work and drank well into the night. Today, such practices have gone the way of the Nehru jacket. And for good reason.

Don't ever feel obligated to serve alcohol at media functions such as news conferences. And if you are being interviewed by a reporter, NEVER EVER drink alcohol, even if the reporter does and offers to pay for your drink. As the old saying goes, "loose lips sink ships." You don't want to let your guard down for one second, particularly in front of a bulldog reporter who can down three double-Scotches, still appear coherent, and fire fast-ball questions at you. You need to stay clear-headed, sober and focused on the interview. You need to remember your key message and deliver it succinctly. You need to be braced for a trick question, and not let yourself get tripped up.

For more rules on appropriate conduct at news conferences, see Special Report #43, "The Do's and Don'ts of Offering Food to the Media"