I haven't commented on Mel Gibson's PR plight, nor do I wish to here. What I want to look at is the coming aftermarket for Mel-like disasters and the money being made exploiting his predictament. Businessweek reports:
In Touch acquired what the magazine calls "PR rights" to the photos, and the publication quickly began distributing the pictures for free to other media outlets under the condition that they show the In Touch logo when running the photos.
The photos of the actor partinging at a bar in Malibu provided "PR Value" to the magazine after it purchased the snapshots from three Phoenix residents. The magazine's efforts to sell itself through placements also benefited the picture takers who stand to make roughly $120,000 on their photos, split three ways, as other magazines continue to purchase rights.
I doubt these folks are the only ones making money. I'm sure PR firms are pointing to Mel Gibson as a case study as they sell clients on the importance of having crisis communications counsel at the ready.