An L.A. Times front pager today on Fleishman-Hillard says the agency prides itself on its skills at crisis management, but was slow to recognize that it violated the guiding rule of public relations by becoming the subject of a running controversy.

The public relations community is watching in wonder — and, in a few cases, carefully concealed glee — as a prominent local PR agency, an arm of one of the biggest national firms, becomes enmeshed in headlines, accusations and investigations....

"The consensus is that Fleishman waited way too long to take action," said Joe Kessler, president of California operations for Weber Shandwick Worldwide. "One of the reasons public relations agencies are so successful is that we have the benefit of being objective. It's much more difficult to be objective when it's your own situation. What's that old saying about the doctor's children being neglected?"

Longtime industry critic Jack O'Dwyer blames in part the industry's decision two decades ago to begin billing by the hour. Fleishman's parent company, Omnicom Group Inc., is "manic about max hours being billed out to clients. F-H execs have got to 'make their numbers' or face severe consequences."