Should you memorize your media messages before an interview? No! I do not recommend memorization because it is hard and when you are in a media interview, specially if there is a bright light in your face or a microphone or camera right in front of you, you tend to feel stressed and when your body is stressed, your ability to recall information just doesn’t work.
When you have memorized something and are recalling, if you get even one word wrong, you feel like you have made a major blunder. It is like going over a speed bump too fast- it is just an awkward jolt. Instead, I recommend you to focus on three messages, the very basic concept of them, and you can say them in different ways or different orders, it shouldn’t matter saying it word for word in one particular way. If you have a solid Idea or message, what matters is the focus on it instead of the sequence of words.
If you focus on your message instead of memorization, then the words will automatically come to you. Trying to get the exact words just right puts too much pressure on your brain and you are likely to fail. Same goes for sound bites. You can afford to say them a little bit different each time as long as you have the emotion behind it to make it believable.
So remember, if you want to be comfortable with your messages and sound bites, do not memorize them and just focus on their concepts.