To state the obvious: The world of public relations and crisis communications have had few legends like Mike Sitrick, the founder and CEO of Sitrick and Company. For decades, the Los Angeles-based media expert has been wielding his talents and influence in disputes ranging from the highest of high-profile to the potential embarrassments forever kept under the rug. Sitrick himself once considered a career in the law before starting out in journalism for a brief period in the late 1960s.

“I was offered a journalism job at $125 per week and a PR job at $160 per week,” Sitrick recalls. “I liked journalism, but preferred eating.”

But Sitrick, who is also the author of the books “Spin” and “The Fixer,” has the instincts and savvy of an experienced newshound.

“The most important component of what I do – other than judgment and creativity – is understanding what makes news, whether in dealing with the media or any other constituent,” he says.

Lawdragon: Can you describe the range of matters that Sitrick and Company works on?