Hewlett-Packard's PR problem is what everyone in the industry wants to talk about now, specifically how the company has handled the crisis.

There is a broader topic that this brings to the forefront, namely the question of how companies handle the media that covers them. In its efforts to root out leakers on its board by spying on board members and journalists, HP has faced public repudiation. But behind boardroom doors across the country, there is no doubt some CEOs ...