Writing for the Future

Some of you may remember that Ashley offered to share with us some tips for the sort of apology that PR people often suggest to their clients as part of "damage control." So here they are. (Ashley, thanks for sharing!)

Elements of the perfect apology… (from lecture of Stacey A. Passalacqua for Intro. to Comm. Studies class, Summer 2013 term and the book, Communicating about Health, 3^rd edition, by Athena DuPre)

• Description of the error (What happened? Explain. Don’t beat around the bush.)
• Acknowledgement of the offense (It shouldn’t have happened but it did. Admit it.)
• Acceptance of responsibility (Engage. Don’t blame anyone else.)
• Willingness to own the mistake (You’re an adult. Own up to your mistakes.)
• Explanation (What were you thinking? Why did you do it? Be honest.)
• Regret (Express that you wish you hadn’t done it.)
• Humility (You are an imperfect human. Humble yourself.)
• Remorse (You’re sorry.)
• Request to be forgiven (Ask for forgiveness.)
• Credible effort to prevent the error from happening again (Explain what you’ll do to make sure it doesn’t happen again.)
• Some form of compensation (What are you going to do to try to make it right?)

The following is a sample apology, using Michael Vick’s dog-fighting scandal, written to give an idea of how the above elements might be used. This sample apology was written by me and is connected in no way to Michael Vick or any persons representing Michael Vick.

I participated in hosting dog fighting. It shouldn’t have happened. I admit that and take full responsibility for my actions. I am not proud of my transgression. During the time when I hosted dog fights I didn’t realize how inhumane it was. I saw it as a hobby and a way to entertain company. I regret taking part in it. I also regret that dogs were hurt because of it. I am human. I made a mistake. I am deeply sorry. Please find it in your hearts to accept my sincere apology. I have learned from my mistake and will do the following to ensure that it doesn’t happen again: I will not associate myself with those who partake in dog-fighting. I will avoid harboring pets in my home and will not visit places where dog-fighting is allowed. Overall, I will be mindful of my actions concerning dogs. In light of my error in judgment I am starting a foundation to prevent dog-fighting and prevent other types of animal cruelty. I am also going to pay for the expenses related to saving and rehabilitating the dogs involved in my error. Lastly, I will be offering a low cost, limited edition jersey to fans. Thank you.