The Lauer regime: how sex, silence and truth play out in PR

In the words of Gina Luttrell, , it doesn't get any worse than the truth -even when you're Matt Lauer.

It's no secret that the tenured NBC "Today" host was fired on Wednesday for inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace, joining a long list of public figures who have been accused of sexual assault and harassment just this year. The accused former NBC star released a public statement on Thursday, detailing his position on the allegations.

As a woman, it is a painful but empowering time to be alive in the media industry. The allegations against over a dozen powerful male figures working in media and entertainment provide hope for future women in the field and sends a powerful message to the men who still remain: the reign of the Lauer regime is over.

Brian Flood of Fox News presented an interesting perspective on the organization's crisis unfolding before the public eye. (I know what you're thinking - someone from Fox News, having a valid and substantial opinion? Blasphemous! But no, just hear me out on this one!) As the company works to manage the public crisis they are facing, one must consider whether could top executives be held accountable for keeping silent about the former anchor's misconduct.

One of the larger issues at hand was presented by several media critics, who stated that NBC has a much larger problem than the sexual misconduct allegations against Lauer - the corporation itself has lost massive trust with its consumers and stakeholders because of the lack of transparency to the public on what NBC's management knew about Lauer. So much so, that consumers are calling on Comcast to launch a separate investigation on NBC executives.

With a such a fresh, massive crisis being managed right before our eyes, it's difficult to gather strong, hard evidence against involved players; however, one thing is certainly clear: every crisis should begin with the truth. For that, NBC is on the right path. Even for Lauer, who has reportedly deleted his social media accounts following the allegations, has, so far, been handling the situation appropriately. While he previously denied allegations, he has since addressed the public with a remorseful statement , using both honesty and transparency as crutches during this critical time. It will be very important for Lauer to continue doing so if he wishes to regain public trust once more.