Can an interview be "stupid"?

That's what French President Nicolas Sarkozy dubbed his interview with 60 Minutes on CBS before abruptly ending it and walking out. All this with cameras rolling – who's stupid now?

Apparently, the disheveled President felt his schedule was too full that day for a stupid interview. And he grew even more frustrated when questions about his wife surfaced. We won't go into details about that blunder, but mishandling the media as such and making your own stupid statements is simply a big no-no.

Where's his press secretary in all this? He's watching a formidable collapse of a communications strategy happen right before his eyes. All the while being called "an imbecile" by his boss.

Talk about a media interview gone wrong.

Bottom line, Sarkozy's press secretary should have had a better grip on things.

A planned approach to media interviews is an integral piece of any public relations strategy. And media training for spokespeople is critical. The cardinal rule is to be prepared. And Sarkozy obviously wasn't.

Anyone can jump in front of a camera and give a disastrous interview, but with the proper preparation, planning and control, a media interview can be a key communications tactic.