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© 1987 by Robert B. Irvine
ISBN 0-87094-926-8
360 pp., notes, index, contributors
6 x 9, cloth
Dow Jones-Irwin

Essential reading for executives, line managers, and public relations
professionals who will have to deal with the news media in the midst of a breaking news story.
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Based on the firsthand experiences of the author and others involved in news stories that were the focus of worldwide attention, the book provides practical suggestions for managing a major story and candidly points out the admirable decisions as well as the avoidable mistakes in working with the news media during their coverage of:

• The Reagan administration Iranian arms scandal
• The Challenger Space Shuttle explosion
• The Bhopal chemical plant accident
• The Barney Clark and Bill Schroeder artificial heart operations
• The "Baby Fae" experiment
• The Wilberg Mine fire
• The Delta Air Lines crash at Dallas-Fort Worth

Spokespersons, participants, and reporters have filled When Yo~ Are the Headline with practical insights into what you can do to gain control in the first critical hours after a story breaks and then maintain it as the news coverage evolves. This is the book that will help you survive and succeed in the midst of any important news story -- even when the disclosure is moments away or the media finds out before you do.

When You Are the Headline will prepare you for managing any positive or negative news story at a time when "Instant Eye" news reports, television debates via satellite, all-news radio stations, and national editions of major newspapers create a relentless demand for up-to-the-minute information. Whether the story is local, regional, or national in scope, this book will show you how to handle it effectively when the media starts flooding your switchboard and showing up in your lobby.

This book is a pragmatic approach to media relations in this era of 24-hour-a-day news coverage. It deals with more than crisis management because many of today's major news stories don't become a crisis until the media is mishandled. This book will help you protect your organization's integrity, and your own reputation, by showing how to work with the press in any "pack journalism" situation, but on your terms, not theirs.

When You Are the Headline is based on the experiences of the spokespersons, journalists, and participants who've been involved in recent news stories that caught the world's attention. The author uses their insights and his own experience to provide important suggestions on how to communicate the facts, minimize disruption, and give your organization the best chance of being portrayed favorably in the news coverage.

Robert B. Irvine is executive vice president of Jack Guthrie and Associates and a major stockholder in the public relations firm headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

Mr. Irvine established the corporate public relations for Humana Inc. in 1982 and directed Humana's initial public relations support of the artificial heart program. He served as a spokesman for Dr. William C. DeVries and the Humana Heart Institute International when artificial heart operations were performed on Bill Schroeder, Murray Haydon, and Jack Burcham. Humana was awarded a Silver Anvil by the Public Relations Society of America in 1985 for the excellence of its artificial heart public relations program.

Before entering the consulting field, Mr. Irvine had more than 20 years' experience in corporate public relations. He has been accredited by the Public Relations Society of America since 1975 and is a member of its Counselors Academy. A frequent speaker and seminar leader, Mr. Irvine has addressed the corporate section of the Public Relations Society of America at its national convention. He also was a participant at the Foundation for American Communications forum on "Human Heart Replacement: A New Challenge for Physicians and Reporters."

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Mr. Irvine holds a master's degree from Wesleyan University and is a graduate of the two-year management program at the Wharton School of Finance, University of Pennsylvania.