The PR Crisis Bible

Media Rules!

You're the CEO of XYZ Worldwide. CNN reported today, based on an unsubstantiated internet report, that a female board member is engaged with you in inside trading of XYZ stock. And that she's rumored to be your lover. Camera crews and reporters are gathering in the lobby. What do you do?

Ten years ago — even five — all an executive had to do was slip out the back door. But to survive in today's business world, where executives' personal lives are no longer out of bonds, CEOs have to take responsibility for such stories, and have to respond immediately with a credible explanation. Most executives simply don't realize that this is what they must do. Their careers are at stake.

The PR Crisis Bible is the only book to protect a CEO's reputation by stopping the problem where it begins: in the mind of the CEO. It's the first book that shows CEOs how the new media rules have changed the world. It shows them the right way to respond to today's instant scandals, unsubstantiated reports, Internet rumors, and other crises. It pinpoints the reasons why CEOs get themselves into trouble, and shows how they can turn a disaster to their advantage. Today, CEOs must avoid the "seven deadly sins of handling a crisis" because even if they had nothing to do with a problem, it ends up on their lap. The buck always stops at the top.

In her book, Robin Cohn strikes a masterful balance between fear, the most powerful of motivators, and humor. The author's message? You can be prepared. But you must know the drill before a disaster strikes.

• Introduction
• Sin #1: It Will Never Happen Here
• Sin #2: I Don't care How It Looks
• Sin #3: Let Them Eat Cake
• Sin #4: It's Not Our Fault
• Sin #5: Just Say "No Comment"
• Sin #6: Just Numbers on a Balance Sheet
• Sin #7: React First, Think Later
• Deliverance

Mandatory reading. It's your head if you haven't read it.