The fear resulting from opposing counsel threatening: "If we don't get what we want, we'll go to the press!" has long been understood as a quick pathway to settlement. As a starting point for measuring the impact of media coverage in a matter, this one is fairly obvious.

However, beyond that obvious measurement, there is a lot of discussion today surrounding the impact of plaintiffs attorney advertising efforts, as well as traditional media and social media coverage, on the vast number of cases filed and extreme nuclear verdicts sought.