In today’s environment, clients are increasingly interested in retaining public relations (PR) firms, crisis managers or media consultants—especially when a potential scandal is about to break or an investigation is underway or on the horizon.

Indeed, sometimes those responsible for internal or external PR are the first to get wind of a brewing crisis. The fast-paced news cycle and social media pressure often create a need for “instant” responses, and shareholders, boards of directors and news outlets expect an immediate reaction to the possibility of a negative story.