Crisis Management

A subtle blame game may be developing between two former executives most widely suspected of playing key roles in Enron Corp.'s collapse. Former Chief Executive Jeff Skilling and ousted Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow have both made carefully controlled media appearances in the company of the attorneys representing them in scores of civil lawsuits and government inquiries extending all the way to Congress. In both instances, the men or their lawyers distanced themselves from blame, suggesting others were responsible.

Outgoing New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani may open his own high-end consulting firm. New York Daily News reports that Giuliani and 15 members of his administration are part of the start-up business plan. PR Week reports that NY public affairs academics and industry insiders are praising Giulianiis potential move to crisis consulting.

The American Red Cross has hired the Edelman PR firm and the firm of Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates to handle criticism that arose when the Red Cross revealed that it only planned to give out $300 of the $560 million-plus dollars collected for victims' families of the assaults on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

PR Newswire opened its wires to companies whose crisis communications plans were activated by the attacks on the World Trade Center as a public service. The newswire sent out an e-mail to members at approximately 11a.m. The message read: "For PR Newswire members whose crisis communication plan has been activated by today's World Trade Center and Washington, D.C.