We at FairerScience do our best to help folks get their message out to the world and we have lots of thoughtful advice. After reading much of what has been going on lately, I've been thinking our advice is too subtle (yes those of you who know me, I actually can be too subtle and I'm dealing with it, ok?). So folks here is the not very subtle advice:

JUST SHUT UP. If you're not really clear about what your message is or is not; just shut up and don't speak to any media folks until you are very clear what you want to say. No comment is not a swear word

REMEMBER THE MIKE IS ALWAYS ON. Whenever you are in a public setting, always assume the mike is on; you probably will be right. If it isn't on, then no problem; it if is on and you didn't realize it, your boss, grandmother, great aunt, former boyfriend, whomever are going to be so upset. Hey let's face it, as scientists, we need to remember that in this case, it is soooooo much better to be a false positive than to be a false negative.

UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO LAW THAT SAYS OFF THE RECORD ACTUALLY IS. I've known some wonderful journalists who totally respected the concept of "off the record", I've known others who, well let's just say, didn't. If you aren't totally sure that a journalist will abide by off the record, they probably won't and when they quote you saying all those things that you thought you said in private it will be your problem not theirs.

It's a jungle out there; be careful.