In the first sentence of one of his first interviews after helping rescue Amanda Berry and three other Cleveland women who had been kidnapped and held hostage for a decade, local hero Charles Ramsey mentions, “I’m eating my McDonald’s…”

In public relations and media placement circles, that’s a money quote. Corporations pay spokespeople millions to get far less powerful – and powerfully honest – on-air mentions. And this was on a national news broadcast that was rebroadcast and viewed online almost four million times.

Before day’s end, McDonald’s would squander the goodwill. The company Tweeted, “We salute the courage of Ohio kidnap victims & respect their privacy. Way to go Charles Ramsey- we’ll be in touch.”

Yet, within a day, Ramsey claims he had heard nothing from the company.

OK, two lessons from P.R. 101:

First, no “news jacking.” That happens when a company blatantly, even crassly attempts to capitalize on a national news story by turning it into a P.R. play. For the Golden Arches team, it’s tasteless and unbecoming their Fortune 100 brand and tarnishes Ronald McDonald’s Good Guy sheen.

Second, make a promise? Follow up – fast. If you tell 1.1 million Twitter followers (including members of the media and some well-followed bloggers, no doubt) “we’ll be in touch,” then Get In Touch.

In an example of “Right hand, meet left hand,” McDonald’s social media marketing team made an offer that local-area marketing officials didn’t act upon. A simple email or phone call to the nearest store manager or franchisee could have gotten someone to Ramsey’s door with a greeting and a message that Corporate would be coming soon with some goodwill gesture.

Ronald and his team immediate were excoriated by P.R. and marketing pundits nationwide. In their own defense, McDonald’s P.R. team claims customers “reached out” and told them to get involved.

So you sent a Tweet? There’s more to effective P.R. than a social media blast that took 30 seconds to type, proof and send (and seemingly took even less time to get approved by the Best Standards & Practices Committee).

In another P.R. lesson, if you want to do something nice, then do something nice because it’s part of your corporate ethos. Don’t do it because it’s a marketing opportunity. Some chided McDonald’s not for the promise to “be in touch,” but for making the promise public. In news parlance, the Amanda Berry et al story “has legs.” It will last for a while. If any marketer sought to capitalize on the tale, time is on its side.

Or, in the words of another global brand, “Just do it.” You don’t have to tell us all about it.

The story didn’t end there. Ramsey (aka, David vs. McDonald’s Goliath, in this tale), one-upped the Titan of Industry again. Ramsey, who reportedly has a somewhat checkered past, on Wednesday claimed he would refuse any reward money. Instead, he was reported saying, it should go to the rescued women to help with their recovery and return to normal life.

For South Florida small business owners and executives looking for lessons in public relations and marketing, apparently Mr. Ramsey just held a crash course. We suspect the team from McDonald’s learned their lesson. But there’s lessons for all of us, too. The first being, don’t highjack the news. Second, if you make a promise, act on it.

Another lesson is especially pertinent in the age of social media. Said one P.R. expert, “Think before you tweet.”

Hopefully, the lesson has been learned by all – and Mr. Ramsey can return to eating his McDonald’s.