How to avoid saying no to a person

“No, sorry, I cannot help you with giving an interview.”

Or:

“For this year I had to decide to not give any more interviews.
So, sorry, I cannot help you.”

The result is the same. No interview.

However the first response is a ‘no’ to a person.
The second response is a ‘no’ to giving interviews.

The second answer is a lot easier to give
and a lot more pleasant to receive.