Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Should Paula Deen have apologized?

Fox News' Sean Hannity asks "Should Paula Deen have apologized?"

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2503654756001/should-paula-deen-have-apologized?intcmp=related?playlist_id=929831930001

Coombs wrote:
"Apology is the most complex and perhaps controversial of the crisis response strategies. It is critical to differentiate between full and partial apologies. A full apology must acknowledge the crisis, accept responsibility, include a promise not to repeat the crisis, and express concern and regret (Kellerman, 2006). A partial apology is typically just an expression of concern and regret. Why the split? The answer is legal liability. Accepting responsibility results in organizations losing lawsuits related to the crisis. If an organization says it is responsible, it must pay in court. As noted earlier, the expression of concern or regret does not carry the same liabilities (Cohen, 2002). A person must be careful when using the term apology. That is why full apology is specified and treated as separate from an expression of concern."

Source: W. Timothy Coombs. (2012). Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.