Never ever use these words (well, one is an expression) in a media interview:

“You know…” If we ‘know’ what you are going to say, why are we listening to you repeat it?  We tune into a news program to learn things. Your interview should inform us as to what is new, not what we knew. Many interviewees use this expression over and over. Do not follow this trend! We don’t know and that’s why you are going to tell us.

“So…” when this little word begins every paragraph, it becomes extremely tedious. Your interview is not a nursery rhyme or Aesop’s Fables and it should not begin, ‘So, the little turtle peered out from beneath his shell…’

“Awesome.” Give it a rest. Very few things are truly ‘awesome’ and the word has been misused so many times over the past decade, it means nothing anyway. ‘Awesome’ and its predecessor  ‘Cool’ should be retired to the great lexicon in the sky – along with the word ‘Great’ that we promise never to use ‘Again.’

-GR