Hardball PR

Book excerpt: To all corporate executives: Warning! There are now thousands of aggressive, ambitious young journalists out there who desperately want to become the next Bob Woodward, the next Mike Wallace or the next Seymour Hersh. They want to get there quick. They want to get there with minimal effort. And they won't mind getting there by destroying your company and marching over its corpse. These are the predatory journalists. They disguise themselves as "investigative reporters," but investigation is the least of their concerns. What they want is the hot headline that portrays you as a villain and that ignites public outrage. They know this is the fast track to stardom in the news media, and they're not about to let little things like facts, truth and context get in the way. Where do they get their stories? Often from Corporate America's most ruthless antagonists: plaintiff attorneys and social activists. Traditional PR says that you must kowtow to these thugs. Hardball PR says you can fight back--and win. Read this book. The life you save could belong to your company.