public relations

With unemployment high, wages stagnant and costs rising, a growing number of Americans are working a part time job -- or more than one -- to make ends meet. 24/7 Wall St. dug through the data to see which industries are the best bets for those seeking part-time work -- and some may surprise you.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million donation to Newark's public schools has drawn praise, but also questions about its timing: He'll announce the gift on Oprah Friday, the same day as the premiere of a new film that portrays the young billionaire in a negative light.

Following the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, the numbers of tourists visiting New Orleans dropped to nothing. The city's $5 billion tourism industry slowly recovered, however, and is now once again approaching pre-Katrina visitor levels.

The board of Hewlett-Packard Co (HPQ) was blindsided by the public relations campaign waged on behalf of former CEO Mark Hurd, who resigned last week over alleged ethics violations. Hurd, who collected a $12.2 million cash payment as part of his separation, hired Los Angeles-based public...

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore was a leading voice in the fight against climate change just three years ago. Now, amid accusations of sexual misconduct, he faces an image problem. Is the environment losing a key spokesman?

Corporate disasters can lead to unprecedented changes in the ways business and government operate. Think Three Mile Island, or the massive 1969 oil spill off Santa Barbara, Calif., which led to Earth Day and the environmental movement.

Before Deepwater Horizon sank, the CEO's often blunt and honest commentary was considered a plus. But now, in the cleanup, his off-the-cuff style is seen as anything but an asset.

Warren Buffett, widely known as an investment genius, is little noted for his PR skills, yet he's a Teflon titan who attracts little whiff of scandal. He managed to run with ethics-challenged Wall Street icons Salomon Bros. and Goldman Sachs, only to emerge ever richer, with his reputation intact.

Following last week's revelations of civil fraud charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Goldman Sachs Group now confronts a public relations headache that many experts say may get only worse.

Crisis management experts say the time is now for Toyota to do everything possible to reassure the public that it's fixing the problems -- and that consumers should not lose faith in the carmaker's reputation for quality.