1. Erika Pope Principal

2. Control?  There’s no such thing.  Instead, be a credible part of the conversation.

3. Be (Appropriately) Opportunistic  Use topical news as an occasion to get your message out and change the timbre of the coverage.  IMPORTANT: Be sure your message is relevant to the larger conversation and has genuine news value.  Understand that your message may be co-opted in service of the larger story and be okay with that (or don’t disseminate it).

4. Short-term Pain…  PR 101: Be up front at all times, especially in crisis situations.  The more integrity you demonstrate from the outset, the sooner your reputation will rebound.

5. Strike First  In the age of instant information, you must communicate via all available, appropriate avenues.  From a customer service perspective, accounting for the use of mobile devices is paramount.  Bad news is better than no news.