Let$$s say you are working as a spokesperson for a city power company. Yesterday, a report published in a local newspaper leaked unflattering emails between company managers regarding threats to cut power in certain neighborhoods where residents had publicly criticized them. How should you react to this negative attention to best manage public relations?

Option A: You craft a written statement in response to the article. You want to be transparent about what happened, apologize, and highlight the positive volunteer work the CEO has done in those communities.

Option B: You work with another local newspaper to publish a smear campaign about the reporter who wrote the negative story.

Option C: You ask if you can use company money and offer it to the publication in exchange for removing the article.

Option D: You do nothing. The issue will go away soon, and releasing a statement addressing what happened would just draw more attention. That newspaper violated the CEO$$s privacy, and it does not deserve a response from the company.