An Expert Opinion Think you know something? Prove it to the world as a frequently quoted expert.

He's been quoted in hundreds, maybe thousands, ofpublications, from Time to TV Guide. You've seenhim on The Early Show, Good Morning America andToday as well as 60 Minutes and 48 Hours.He's known for being articulate about anything from O.J.Simpson to The Simpsons. Which makes sense-after all, RobertThompson is the founding director of the Center for the Study ofPopular Television at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, aswell as the author of several books about TV. How can you be quotedin the media as an expert (maybe not as frequently as Thompson)? Wequestioned this expert on being an expert.

A lot of entrepreneurs want to appearin the media to promote their companies. How can they make thathappen?

Robert Thompson: I am not aPR person for any kind of product or service. I see myself as aneducator trying to teach whatever constituencies or audiences I canreach, and that's how entrepreneurs should see themselves. Youhave to demonstrate you're the person who knows something aboutthis topic. Journalists are a savvy bunch, and they can tell inabout five seconds whether you're simply the creation of apress release, or whether you can help them understand whateverthey're writing about.