Some blunders are unavoidable; often they are self-inflicted. One thing's for certain: 2011 provided some stunning examples of public relations disasters.

Here are some dumb public comments made during the year. The primary criterion is that the speaker causes the listener to believe exactly the opposite of what was said.

Believe it or not, reporters would probably find it as scary to be in your mind as you would to be in theirs. The catch is that they're paid to be in yours and will do their best to get there.

Ever wonder why your media contacts start ignoring your emails? Perhaps they are busy? Perhaps they aren't interested in your pitch? Have you ever considered that maybe you are on their Blacklist?