People in my industry [PR] would like people to believe we have ways to control social media. But that's one of the great swindles.

Most crises are not resolved through rhetoric. They are resolved through operations.

The PR industry loves the concept that if you just apologize, the problem goes away. The concept of apology is known in the Judeo-Christian sense: You apologize, but then you suffer. The problem is nobody wants the suffering. Everybody wants drive-through redemption.

One of the biggest challenges I have with certain clients is convincing them to take a vacation - metaphorically. You're dealing with egos, and with egos the answer to everything is "more me." Sometimes the situation calls for less you.

People mistake their love of the technology for it being a solution. Social media is the problem, not the solution, in crisis management. It's a problem if you use it to communicate in areas where you're dealing with incredibly intense emotions and very deep conflicts.

People in my industry [PR] would like people to believe we have ways to control social media. But that's one of the great swindles.

The Constitution gives you the right to a lawyer, but it doesn't allow you the right to a good reputation.