According to FOXBusiness’ Charles Gasparino, Bank of America has organized a team to prepare for what may be disclosed, indicating that it is taking the WikiLeaks threat seriously. TheStreet.com spoke with a couple of people in the industry (BofA didn’t comment) to gather suggestions about what the bank should do in case of a data dump.

Brenda Wrigley, an associate professor and chair of Syracuse University’s PR department, says the bank should look to David Letterman, who out-PR’d his blackmail threat by “getting out in front of the story.”

“People ended up feeling sorry for Letterman,” she says.

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According to Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) numbers quoted in a Ragan.com story titled “Women Dominate the PR Industry: Why?,” nearly 85 percent of PR practitioners are women. And 73 percent of PRSA’s membership, which totals 21,000, are women.

Brenda Wrigley, chair of the PR department at Syracuse University, thinks the number of women in the industry is commensurate with the skills that women acquire during their college studies. Many women major in areas of the humanities and skills like writing, presentation, and event planning are right up their alley.

Still, there are inequalities. Women earn less than men, the story says, and 80 percent of top management is male. While the story notes that women are starting to make inroads into the top ranks, it also says that some are making a concerted effort to recruit men.

Why do you think women gravitate to PR in such overwhelming numbers?

Toyota is currently in the midst of a massive product recall. Last week the company announced it would recall “approximately 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific Toyota Division models.”

Just yesterday, the company changed its tune, moving from solely a recall to suspending sales of certain vehicles altogether. Dealers across the country are bracing for the worst but also hoping that somehow the recall will be behind them as soon as possible.

Gene Grabowski, senior VP-chair of crisis and litigation for Levick Strategic Communications, told PRNewser in a phone interview today, “Toyota is no longer in the car business, they are in the safety business, whether they like it or not.”

Grabowski expressed doubts in the company’s communications strategy, saying, “if they have a strategy, it’s looking pretty shaky right now.”

Other PR professionals agreeed. “The story just kind of drags on. That’s just deadly for a reputation,” Brenda Wrigley, chair of the public relations department at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications told the Associated Press.

Added Grabowski, “What they were telling consumers last week is different from what they are telling consumers this week. Last week was it was a minor malfunction, this week, they’re saying the car is still safe but we’re going to stop selling it. It’s a risky strategy.”

Golin Harris is PR agency of record for Toyota.

MORE: TVNewser reports that an ABC News investigation had a major impact on the recall.