So the two latest casualties of the trial by media culture we have are Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand. Depending on your take on the issue it’s likely you care little or not at all for the welfare of these highly-paid media stars but that misses the point.

Many commentators (nods to Borkowski and Will Sturgeon) have already shared their thoughts on the issue and my own rather flippant opinion has been given short shrift both on Facebook and Twitter (nod here to Anne Wollenberg).

To me there are several things at play here: a media hungry for alternative stories to the credit crunch endlessly being played out before our eyes, a rather antipathetic feeling towards Brand and Ross and the hyping up of the chattering classes who view anything mildly tasteless as hugely offensive. Essentially, a recipe for a media storm in a teacup.

What I find concerning though is the reaction by Ofcom in deciding to hold an enquiry (further adding fuel to the media fire) then every Tom, Dick and Harry ploughing their own agenda by jumping on the bandwagon (see Gordon Brown, David Cameron, the granddaughter et al) and finally the BBC caving in to pressure to suspend them both.

In an age where advertising revenues are falling – and no doubt set to fall faster still as the recession bites – media organisations are constantly hunting for the ‘big story’ that draws in readers and viewers. The consequence is that minor incidents are overblown to create fodder for 24-hour news and to fill pages.

Will Sturgeon has highlighted the obsession of credit-crunch washing while Sally Whittle has called upon journalists to approach particular stories with more measure and sang-froid. It therefore behoves upon the PR industry to follow the same approach. Rather than simply jumping on bandwagons that serve our clients, let’s contemplate first what the likely impact is.

One reason we love Google Analytics is that you can quickly identify who is seeking out what services on your website and blog. My recent Max Mosley post attracted visitors intrigued to learn more about orgies (one even examining several pages – now that’s total dedication to a cause!)

The recent crisis communications post continues to draw visitors’ attention through search engines. One in particular asked the question ‘Can you say ‘no comment’ in a crisis?’ – which prompted me to compile this post.

As our tips on crisis communications highlighted saying ‘no comment’ in a crisis is the worst possible solution. Although the reader didn’t stay on the blog long, they hopefully picked up on our tips.

This person would undoubtedly benefit from media training facilitated by seasoned practitioners and former journalists which enables interviewees to handle the toughest of interviews.

Another intriguing search term was ‘good public relations for drugs’ – I’ll leave you to ruminate on how you would deliver that PR campaign!

The furore – and shambles – surrounding the fiasco around the late publication of this year’s school SATs exams starkly highlights how to not to handle a crisis. So, if the boss of ETS, the company in charge of the marking, is reading then here are Quest PR’s top tips for keeping your reputation as intact as possible during a crisis:

1. Firstly set in place a crisis plan for your business – before a crisis hits. This entails compiling a document of worse case scenarios and how you will respond to them.
2. Commission media training experts such as Quest PR who understand the media to compile a series of questions reporters will ask
3. Decide upon an allocated spokesperson within your organisation to liaise with all media enquiries. Choosing the right person who comes across as credible, accountable and genuinely sympathetic to the situation – is vital.
4. Always remember that honesty is the best policy – covering up information will inevitably come back to bite you.
5. If you are unprepared and a crisis hits – recognise and admit your mistakes – your stakeholders, viewers, readers and the media will be much more forgiving.
6. Implement a comprehensive recovery plan that encompasses your staff, customers and stakeholders to ensure that your business is back on track as soon as possible.
7. Maintain a warm and friendly manner with journalists throughout the crisis and going forward, particularly if you have previously failed to nurture and develop relationships with reporters. They are the ones that can make or break you so try to keep them on your side.
8. Don’t run away from the media and say ‘no comment’, if you create a vacuum of information then the journalists will fill it with speculation and rumour, emphasising any previous negative publicity your company may have attracted.
9. Finally, don’t forget that the media’s attention will move on however your customers are the ones left picking up the pieces so focus on keeping them on board and minimising the damage to your bottom line – ETS is now in danger of losing its £154 million contract as a result of this incompetence.

For anyone else about to go through a crisis then one mistake you won’t make is calling the crisis communications team at Quest PR.

The weekend’s media has been crammed with reports on Terminal 5′s atrocious start. Borkowski eloquently dissects BA’s immediate reaction  - which for the most part I agree with, save that I would have liked a more open and honest answer straight away rather than fudging along for over 24 hours.

However, a couple of things have struck me since – not least Friday’s Economist (subscription only), which included three large features on Heathrow airport, looking forward to the opening of T5 as a new dawn for the blighted airport. Demonstrating in the clearest terms the pitfalls of being a weekly title in a world of 24-hour media the articles still had resonance – highlighting Britain’s continued inability to grasp the transport infrastructure nettle or with sufficient gusto as to deliver a decent system.

The second was how do BAA, BA and Heathrow re-build their individual and collective reputations in the light of the monumental chaos they have overseen. I think the first crucial point is maintaining an honest platform. We all err – doing so is human apparently. Admitting it and putting in place more stringent and robust processes makes for better businesses. Therefore before any PR machine can be truly effective the problems have to be solved. Once they are it seems abundantly clear that repairing the jaded experiences of journalists is key – or indeed visiting diplomats. Whether by inviting them on behind-the-scenes tours, quizzing eager and knowledgable staff or devising a whole raft of press trips, they must be won over to start the gradual process of repair.

Most people have little choice as to what airport they fly from – those that do may well be put off by the recent reports but those that aren’t should be given a perfect service so by word-of-mouth alone the airport gains the reputation its glossy exterior deserves. Promoting the new facilities, added comfort and retail experiences will go some way to repairing any damage. Don’t be mistaken though, no PR – no matter how good – can rebuild a reputation quickly and certainly not if the actual experience continues to fall short of expectations.

For Heathrow, it’s time to get your house in order and then draw upon the expertise of your public relations advisers.