The Public Apology

Public apologies are about moving the process forwardโ€”not absolution.

Cover photo: @jerrysilfwer

A pubยญlic apoยญlogy is not about forgiveness.

Iโ€™m a seniยญor pubยญlic relaยญtions advisor who has advised sevยญerยญal brands in perยญil. This artยญicle will give you an overยญview of difยญferยญent types of pubยญlic apoยญloยญgies and explore why a pubยญlic apoยญlogy has little to do with absolution.

Here we go:

The Public Apology

A pubยญlic apoยญlogy is, by nature, an ambiguยญous stateยญment; it ranges from subยญmissive remorse to a cheยญvaยญlierยญโ€™s trope of humbly expressยญing that the outยญcome was all that one could musterโ€‰โ€”โ€‰desยญpite best efforts.

The public apology.
The pubยญlic apology.

โ€œPublic apoยญloยญgies funcยญtion as rituยญalยญistยญic pubยญlic punยญishยญment and humiยญliยญation, rather than forยญgiveยญness, to enforce ethยญicยญal standยญards for pubยญlic speech.โ€
Source: Rhetoric Society Quarterly 1Ellwanger, A. (2012). Apology as Metanoic Performance: Punitive Rhetoric and Public Speech. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 42, 307โ€‰โ€”โ€‰329. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹8โ€‹0โ€‹/โ€‹0โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹7โ€‹3โ€‹9โ€‹4โ€‹5โ€‹.โ€‹2โ€‹0โ€‹1โ€‹2โ€‹.โ€‹7โ€‹0โ€‹4โ€‹118

The audiยญence will not conยญsider anyยญoneโ€™s pubยญlic apoยญlogy until they underยญstand why someone did what they did and how they feel about doing it. This ambiยญguยญity is why sayยญing, โ€œI apoยญloยญgiseโ€ is nevยญer enoughโ€‰โ€”โ€‰you must also express regret and explain yourself.

Anatomy of an Apology

  • The apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apologise.โ€)
  • The regret. (โ€œIโ€™m sorry.โ€)
  • The explanยญaยญtion. (โ€œThis is why.โ€)

Types of Public Apologies

There are sevยญerยญal difยญferยญent types of apoยญloยญgies to avoid. Unfortunately, as far as pubยญlic apoยญloยญgies go, these types of pubยญlic apoยญloยญgies are widely usedโ€‰โ€”โ€‰often with devยญastยญatยญing PR consequences.

  • The non-apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry you feel this way.โ€)
  • The deflectยญive apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry I was misยญinยญformed or took bad advice.โ€)
  • The pathoยญloยญgicยญal apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry I got caught.โ€)
  • The grandยญstandยญing apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry, but I acted accordยญing to my morยญal convictions.โ€)
  • The defeatยญist apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry this didnโ€™t work out how it was supยญposed to.โ€)
  • The charยญacยญter apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorryโ€‰โ€”โ€‰Iโ€™m unwell and need help.โ€)
  • The cirยญcumยญstanยญtial apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry I wasnโ€™t betยญter prepared.โ€)
  • The transยญacยญtionยญal apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorry, but I have since paid my dues.โ€)

From a PR perยญspectยญive, I recomยญmend only one type of apology:

  • The Stoic apoยญlogy. (โ€œI apoยญloยญgise, and Iโ€™m sorryโ€‰โ€”โ€‰I did wrong, and I take full responsยญibยญilยญity for my actions.โ€)

Moving Into the Next Stage

Apart from an honยญest delivยญery, this is what a wrongยญdoยญer must underยญstand about the straยญtegic use of a pubยญlic apoยญlogy as a straยญtegic tool:

Public apoยญloยญgies are not a methยญod of obtainยญing absoยญluยญtion or mitยญigยญatยญing the loss of pubยญlic trust. Forgiveness and trust must be earned sepยญarยญately and in the long term.

A pubยญlic apoยญlogy is a tool to allow the media narยญratยญive to move into the next stage soonยญer rather than laterโ€‰โ€”โ€‰whatever that stage might hold in store for the wrongdoer.

Learn more: The Public Apology

Media Spokesperson Training

I enjoy coachยญing media spokespeople. Itโ€™s rewardยญing, and sigยญniยญficยญant proยญgress can often be made durยญing the first session.

Media spokesperson training.
Media spokesยญperยญson training.

Hereโ€™s how to approach your very first media trainยญing as a media trainยญer yourself:

  • Train for an actuยญal appearยญance. General media trainยญing is inefยญfiยญcient. There should be an actuยญal media appearยญance comยญing up. The upcomยญing media appearยญance will sharpen our pracยญtice sesยญsions. The realยญity of the situยญation will make a huge difference.
  • Roll the camยญera already. When we have a rough idea of what the spokesยญperยญson should say, I donโ€™t bothยญer about tonยญalยญity, gimยญmicks, perยญsoยญnas, choice of clothes, etc. Instead, I start the video camยญera. Go! Since there is little preยญparยญaยญtion, we can quickly identiยญfy the problems.
  • Allow for self-corยญrecยญtion. After each attempt, I play the video back. As we watch the footยญage, I ask the perยญson in trainยญing what they think. Sometimes, thereโ€™s nervous laughter. Sometimes, thereโ€™s uncomยญfortยญable squirmยญing. Other times, the mood gets serยญiยญous. But without me havยญing to give any notes whatยญsoยญever, the spokesยญperยญson immeยญdiยญately self-corยญrects. After experยญiยญenยญcing a cataยญlogue of emoยญtions from watchยญing oneยญself delivยญer corยญporยญate cringe unpreยญpared, the spokesยญperยญson soon wants to try again. We will keep doing this until the spokesยญperยญson is โ€œdoneโ€ and ready for careยญful input from the media trainer.
  • Use Socratic quesยญtionยญing. Instead of givยญing notes, I pracยญtice Socratic quesยญtionยญing. โ€œDid you like or disยญlike the way you delivered the mesยญsage? How did it feel when you changed your approach?โ€ These types of quesยญtions can admitยญtedly be annoyยญing, but the spokesยญperยญson is often too engaged in their perยญformยญance to bothยญer about how I behave. Some might seek my approvยญal durยญing the proยญcess, but itโ€™s easy to deflect and redirยญect their quesยญtions back at them. โ€œWhat parts did you like? What parts do you want to change?โ€ 
  • Explain the proยญcess at the end. When weโ€™re nearยญing the end of the trainยญing sesยญsion, either by sheer fatigue or schedulยญing conยญstraints, some spokesยญperยญsons start to think about my role in all of this. โ€œWhy is Jerry not givยญing, only askยญing me quesยญtions instead of givยญing feedยญback? Why is Jerry not telling me what to doโ€‰โ€”โ€‰or what not to do?โ€ Leaders want to know that theyโ€™re getยญting their moneyโ€™s worth. So, I typยญicยญally end the first trainยญing sesยญsion by explainยญing that media trainยญing should allow the media spokesยญperยญson to โ€excavยญateโ€ their best media perยญsona. Itโ€™s always someยญwhere, but they must pull it out themselves. 

Learn more: Media Spokesperson Training: Get Your Message Across

Classic Media Training Advice

Speaking with a reportยญer while adherยญing to best pracยญtices in media trainยญing is straightยญforยญward in theยญory but difยญfiยญcult in real-life situations.

Classic media training advice.
Classic media trainยญing advice.

Here are some clasยญsic media trainยญing advice:

  • Never specยญuยญlate. Anything you say before a reportยญer could be recorยญded and used against you later. Therefore, avoid specยญuยญlatยญing since you might be proven wrong, or your guesses could be conยญveyed as faulty stateยญments of facts to disยญcredยญit you later.
  • Stay on mesยญsage. Develop 3โ€‰โ€“โ€‰4 key points you want to conยญvey and conยญsistยญently steer the conยญverยญsaยญtion back to those mesยญsages. This helps ensure that your core mesยญsages are comยญmuยญnicยญated clearly and freยญquently. 2Silfwer, J. (2024, May 2). The Core Message. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹cโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹sโ€‹sโ€‹aโ€‹ge/
  • Be preยญpared. Before any media interยญacยญtion, familยญiยญarยญise yourยญself with the journยญalยญist, their recent work, and the media outยญletโ€™s audiยญence. Preparation will help you tailยญor your mesยญsages and antiยญcipยญate potenยญtial quesยญtions. 3Silfwer, J. (2022, June 28). Media Spokesperson Training: Get Your Message Across. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹dโ€‹iโ€‹aโ€‹-โ€‹sโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹kโ€‹eโ€‹sโ€‹pโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹sโ€‹on/
  • Avoid jarยญgon. Speak in plain lanยญguage to ensure your audiยญence underยญstands your mesยญsage. Industry-speยญcifยญic terms can conยญfuse listenยญers and dilute the impact of your mesยญsage. 4Silfwer, J. (2015, October 9). The Platitude Sickness: The Trash of Corporate Writing. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹tโ€‹uโ€‹dโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹sโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹kโ€‹nโ€‹eโ€‹ss/
  • Be conยญcise. Offer brief, clear responses to avoid misยญinยญterยญpretยญaยญtion. Long, comยญplicยญated answers can lead to snipยญpets being taken out of context.
  • Use bridging techยญniques. If asked a difยญfiยญcult or off-topยญic quesยญtion, use bridging phrases like โ€œWhatโ€™s importยญant to rememยญber isโ€ฆโ€ to transยญition back to your key messages.
  • Never lie. Always tell the truth. If you donโ€™t know the answer, say so. Lying can damยญage your repuยญtaยญtion and credยญibยญilยญity if the truth emerges later.
  • Monitor your body lanยญguage. Non-verbal cues can say as much as your words. Maintain an open posยญture and eye conยญtact to conยญvey honยญesty and confidence.
  • Practice. Rehearse your key points and potenยญtial quesยญtions with a colยญleague or a media trainยญer to refine your delivยญery and timยญing. If posยญsible, do it on camยญera for easiยญer review.
  • Manage your emoยญtions. Remain calm and comยญposed, even if the quesยญtionยญing becomes aggressยญive. Emotional responses can be porยญtrayed negatively.
  • Correct misยญtakes. If you misยญspeak, corยญrect yourยญself immeยญdiยญately. This preยญvents misยญinยญformยญaยญtion from spreadยญing and shows your comยญmitยญment to accuracy.
  • Control the pace. Speak slowly and clearly to give yourยญself time to think and to ensure your points are understood.
  • Use examples and anecยญdotes. Personal storยญies or speยญcifยญic examples can make your mesยญsage more relatยญable and memorable.
  • Know when to stop talkยญing. After makยญing a point, itโ€™s okay to stop speakยญing. Filling silence with unneยญcesยญsary elabยญorยญaยญtion can lead to errors or off-mesยญsage statements.
  • Anticipate difยญfiยญcult quesยญtions. Prepare for tough quesยญtions in advance so you can handle them conยญfidยญently without being caught off guard.
  • No blame-gamยญing. Emphasise hopeยญful aspects and soluยญtions rather than dwellยญing on negยญatยญive issues or blame.
  • Avoid non-apoยญloยญgies. Either youโ€™re truly sorry and wish to apoยญloยญgiseโ€‰โ€”โ€‰or you donโ€™t. Thereโ€™s no in-between. Make up your mind beforeยญhand. 5Silfwer, J. (2020, July 26). When a Public Apology is Warranted (And When Itโ€™s Not). Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹aโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹lโ€‹oโ€‹gy/
  • Avoid โ€œno comยญment.โ€ This phrase can appear evasยญive. If you canโ€™t disยญcuss a topยญic, explain why, perยญhaps citยญing priยญvacy or legยญal reasยญons. 6Silfwer, J. (2020, May 23). Corporate Cringe. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹cโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹cโ€‹rโ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹ge/
  • Be mindยญful of the backยญground. The setยญting of your interยญview can also send mesยญsages. Ensure the envirยญonยญment reflects the image you wish to convey.
  • Respect deadยญlines. Understanding a journalistโ€™s deadยญline and respondยญing promptly can help shape the story and foster a posยญitยญive relationship.
  • Follow up. After the interยญview, promptly send any promยญised informยญaยญtion or claยญriยญficยญaยญtions. This helps ensure accurยญacy and mainยญtains a proยญfesยญsionยญal relationship.

Learn more: Classic Media Training Advice

Classic Media Training Mistakes

Standing before a camยญera or a microยญphone can be stressยญful, espeยญcially durยญing a crisis. Therefore, many leadยญers, politiยญcians, and comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtion proยญfesยญsionยญals invest in proยญfesยญsionยญal media training.

However, media trainยญing isnโ€™t a magicยญal fix.

Media training mistakes.
Media trainยญing mistakes.

Media trainยญing can be taken too far.

Answers Without Substance

  • Typical media trainยญing advice: If the reportยญer asks, โ€œIs it unsafe to work for you?โ€ You often canยญโ€™t say โ€˜yes.โ€™ Just because it was unsafe once at one locยญaยญtion doesยญnโ€™t mean all related work envirยญonยญments are unsafe. You canยญโ€™t say โ€˜no,โ€™ either. It was unsafe in this speยญcifยญic situยญation. Youโ€™re being cornered! The only thing you can do is focus on what you actuยญally can say.
  • How this advice backยญfires: Being โ€œmedia trained,โ€ a spokesยญperยญson can get over-conยญfidยญent in their abilยญitยญies. And so, they believe that they can get away with card-stackยญing and talkยญing themยญselves out of the situยญation. Reporters are trained to spot this behaยญviour, and instead of letยญting the spokesยญperยญson off the hook, they start probยญing even harder.
  • What to do instead: Prepare your Q&A betยญter. You must have someยญthing of subยญstance to say before enterยญing the interยญview situยญation. Even if you could talk out of a tricky quesยญtion without sayยญing anyยญthing of subยญstance, the audiยญence will disยญlike you for avoidยญing the question.

Exaggerating the Bridge Technique 

  • Typical media trainยญing advice: Use the bridge techยญnique. While unable or unwillยญing to accept the funยญdaยญmentยญals of the quesยญtion, the interยญviewee can add conยญtext, and by doing so, itโ€™s often posยญsible to slide over to preยญpared stateยญments and talkยญing points. 7Silfwer, J. (2022, June 28). Media Spokesperson Training: Get Your Message Across. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹dโ€‹iโ€‹aโ€‹-โ€‹sโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹kโ€‹eโ€‹sโ€‹pโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹sโ€‹on/
  • How this advice backยญfires: Itโ€™s easy to grasp the mechยญanยญics of the bridge techยญnique. The reportยญer asks a quesยญtion, doesยญnโ€™t answer it, and then disยญcusses what you want to highยญlight. Too often, media-trained spokespeople take this techยญnique way too far. Itโ€™s impolยญite at best and doesยญnโ€™t look good on camera.
  • What to do instead: When youโ€™ve answered a quesยญtion, adding addiยญtionยญal conยญtext or insight into your iniยญtiยญatยญive can be helpยญful to the reportยญer. But always ensure you add conยญtext or insight relยญevยญant to the oriยญginยญal question.

Parrotting Your Key Message

  • Typical media trainยญing advice: Prepare a shortยญlยญist with key stateยญments you want to conยญvey. These stateยญments will help when pressed by a reporter. 
  • How this advice backยญfires: At times, media-trained spokesยญperยญsons might decide to repeat their preยญpared stateยญments word-for-word, over and over again. An irritยญated reportยญer could quickly punยญish you by airยญing this type of โ€œparยญrot behaยญviourโ€โ€‰โ€”โ€‰and itโ€™ll be terยญrible both on camยญera and in audio. 8Silfwer, J. (2020, May 23). Corporate Cringe. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹cโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹cโ€‹rโ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹ge/
  • What to do instead: Write down single words to repยญresยญent your intenยญded talkยญing points, and rememยญber these instead of actuยญal phrases. Donโ€™t memยญorยญise word-for-word stateยญments. And most importยญantly, donโ€™t say the same thing repeatedly.

Staring Down the Reporter

  • Typical media trainยญing advice: Most journยญalยญists use a comยญmon trick to remain silent instead of firยญing anothยญer quesยญtion. For most people, this silence is awkยญward and unpleasยญant. To escape this unpleasยญantยญness, they start talkยญing aimยญlessly. The rule of thumb is to be comยญfortยญable and allow for a little quiet now and then.
  • How this advice backยญfires: Allowing for silence is essenยญtial, but you do not need to sit there and stare intensely for 30 seconds. Because this doesยญnโ€™t look good, either. Many media-trained spokesยญperยญsons apply this advice by triยญumphantly tryยญing to stare down the reporter.
  • What to do instead: If the reportยญer is serยญiยญous about stayยญing quiet for a long time, careยญfully use the bridge techยญnique to add more conยญtext and insight. But take a few moments in silence to think about what youโ€™ll say before you open your mouth. The key is not to be afraid of silence, feel the need to fill these pauses with excessยญive talk, or enter some starยญing conยญtest with the reporter.

Relying on Non-Apologies

  • Typical media trainยญing advice: Donโ€™t be afraid to apoยญloยญgise. Making an apoยญlogy pubยญlicly is someยญtimes just the right thing to do. The importยญant thing here is not to sound like a robot but to make sure you genuยญinely empathise.
  • How this advice backยญfires: More often than not, media-trained spokespeople say things like, โ€œWeโ€™re sorry they feel this way,โ€ โ€œWeโ€™re sorry if this didยญnโ€™t come across,โ€ or โ€œWeโ€™re sorry that youโ€™re sorry.โ€ These stateยญments are also known as non-apoยญloยญgiesโ€‰โ€”โ€‰and everyยญone rightยญfully hates them. 9Silfwer, J. (2020, July 26). When a Public Apology is Warranted (And When Itโ€™s Not). Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹aโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹lโ€‹oโ€‹gy/
  • What to do instead: Connecting through emoยญtions means talkยญing and actยญing like a human being. Donโ€™t say that youโ€™re sad; be sad. And even more importยญantly, avoid non-apoยญloยญgies altoยญgethยญer. Itโ€™s about your feelยญings on the matยญter, not theirs. If you canยญโ€™t express human emoยญtions like empathy durยญing difยญfiยญcult times, see a therยญapยญist, not a reporter.

Using Platitudes and Jargon

  • Typical media trainยญing advice: Never specยญuยญlate. Nothing good ever came from second-guessยญing anyยญthing in front of a reportยญer. Stick to what you know.
  • How this advice backยญfires: Media-trained spokespeople rarely say things like โ€œno comยญmentโ€ or โ€œI can neither conยญfirm nor deny.โ€ They know betยญter. However, resortยญing, as many do, to platยญitยญudes and jarยญgon instead is not a much betยญter strategy. 10Silfwer, J. (2015, October 9). The Platitude Sickness: The Trash of Corporate Writing. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹tโ€‹uโ€‹dโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹sโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹kโ€‹nโ€‹eโ€‹ss/
  • What to do instead: Avoid corยญporยญate cringe. Talk like you would with someone you met on the street askยญing for dirยญecยญtions you do not know, and nevยญer resort to platitudes.

Transposing Human Emotions

  • Typical media trainยญing advice: The story is always about people, so you should focus on those dirยญectly involved. Addressing shareยญholdยญers, marยญkets, and cusยญtomยญers will have to come second.
  • How this advice backยญfires: To address the human aspect, many spokespeople make the misยญtake of tryยญing too hard to reasยญsure people. But itโ€™s nevยญer a good idea to tell people not to worry if they arenโ€™t ready. If you conยญtraยญdict peopleโ€™s feelยญings, youโ€™re actยญively disยญqualยญiยญfyยญing their real emotions.
  • What to do instead: Donโ€™t talk about othยญer people as if you have magicยญal insights into how they feel. Once again, itโ€™s about your feelยญings, not theirs.

Learn more: Classic Media Training Mistakes

Signature - Jerry Silfwer - Doctor Spin

Thank you. Please supยญport my blog by sharยญing artยญicles with othยญer comยญmuยญnicยญaยญtions- and marยญketยญing proยญfesยญsionยญals. Please also conยญsider my PR serยญvices or speakยญing engageยญments.

Psst! What should you read next?

Stoic Philosophy for Public Relations

Iโ€™m inspired by Stoicismโ€‰โ€”โ€‰and intrigued by the idea of transยญlatยญing clasยญsicยญal Stoic virยญtues (wisยญdom, courยญage, justice, temยญperยญance) and applyยญing them to pubยญlic relations:

The Wisdom Pitch

โ€œA Stoic is someone who transยญforms fear into prudence, pain into transยญformยญaยญtion, misยญtakes into iniยญtiยญation, and desires into underยญtakยญing.โ€
โ€” Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Tell PR storยญies of how organยญisaยญtions can be wise and overยญcome obstacles that have stopped othยญers in their tracks. Convey PR mesยญsages on how to apply wisยญdom, knowยญledge, and experience.

The Courage Pitch

โ€œWe canยญnot choose our cirยญcumยญstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.โ€
โ€” Epictetus

Tell PR storยญies of brands that nevยญer back down in the face of hardยญships that would desยญtroy othยญer organยญisaยญtions. Convey PR mesยญsages of how an organยญisaยญtion can be rightยญeous even when storms are raging.

The Justice Pitch

โ€œConcentrate every minute on doing whatโ€™s in front of you with preยญcise and genuยญine serยญiยญousยญness, tenยญderly, willยญingly, with justice.โ€
โ€” Marcus Aurelius

Tell PR storยญies of how organยญisaยญtions relentยญlessly can strive for honยญesty and transยญparยญencyโ€‰โ€”โ€‰even when uncomยญfortยญable. Convey PR mesยญsages about how all brands, without excepยญtion, can rid themยญselves of disยญhonยญesty and incompetence.

The Temperance Pitch

โ€œItโ€™s not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, who is poor.โ€
โ€” Seneca

Tell PR storยญies of organยญisaยญtions that strive for highยญer valยญues in a world where all othยญer organยญisaยญtions sufยญfer shortยญsightedยญness. Convey PR mesยญsages of organยญisaยญtions preยญpared to abstain from short-term gains to make the world betยญter for all.

Learn more: Stoic Philosophy for PR Professionals

Psst! What should you read next?

The Stoic Tonality

An organยญisaยญtion is the polyยญphonยญic sum of all its coworkยญers. Imagine extractยญing each coworkยญerยญโ€™s most virยญtuยญous and mature traits and comยญbinยญing them into one voiceโ€‰โ€”โ€‰the Stoic tonality.

  • Openness. A virยญtuยญous organยญisaยญtion underยญstands that everyยญone must be allowed to express their thoughts and opinions.
  • Fairness. A virยญtuยญous organยญisaยญtion will see (and respect) both sides of a divisยญive argument.
  • Strength. A virยญtuยญous organยญisaยญtion is conยญfidยญent in its chosen strategies and acquired abilยญitยญies, not because theyโ€™re perยญfect, but because they are grounded.
  • Wisdom. A virยญtuยญous organยญisaยญtion will take the time to explain comยญplex topยญics without condescending.
  • Humility. A virยญtuยญous organยญisaยญtion underยญstands that no one can have everything comยญpletely figured out and that we all have learnยญing and growยญing to do.

Stoic Tonality Examples

โ€œWhy doesยญnโ€™t your brand speak out against indusยญtriยญal overยญfishยญing killing our oceans?โ€

โ€œAs a comยญpany that sells fishยญing gear, we want our oceansโ€‰โ€”โ€‰and all animยญals and plants livยญing in them!โ€‰โ€”โ€‰to be healthy and plenยญtiยญful. We, too, were disยญturbed by the recent news of overยญfishยญing. How could anyยญone not be? We now ask ourselves, how can our comยญpany make more of a difยญferยญence? Honestly, weโ€™re disยญcussยญing our strategy for susยญtainยญabยญilยญity every day. I canยญnot say how or when we might take speยญcifยญic action regardยญing this latest news, but rest assured that weโ€™re takยญing the genยญerยญal issue of savยญing our oceans seriously.โ€

โ€œWhy doesยญnโ€™t your brand engage in Black Lives Matter?โ€

โ€œAs for right now, weโ€™re listenยญing. Weโ€™re listenยญing to the storยญies being told. Weโ€™re listenยญing to underยญstand betยญter how we can learn and grow as a comยญpany. As for inclusยญiveยญness and human rights in genยญerยญal, we think weโ€™re doing a great job, and part of that is to stay open and careยญfully listen to peopleโ€™s storยญies. We might take speยญcifยญic actions, but weโ€™re listenยญing and learning.โ€

โ€œWhy doesยญnโ€™t your brand join our protests against toxยญic masยญculinยญity and the patยญriยญarchy?โ€

โ€œHonestly, weโ€™re a product comยญpany. We make products for anyยญone who likes them. And I dare say that weโ€™re experts in makยญing these products. However, weโ€™re not experts on ideoยญloยญgies or sociยญetยญal strucยญtures. So, for now, we listen. And we conยญtinยญue to focus on makยญing the best products that we can. For everyยญone. We believe thatโ€™s our best way of conยญtribยญutยญing at this point.โ€

โ€œWhy doesยญnโ€™t your brand sign our petiยญtion to boyยญcott all comยญpanยญies on our Environmental Black List?โ€

โ€œAs a comยญpany, we operยญate difยญferยญently. Instead of signยญing petiยญtions or parยญtiยญcipยญatยญing in othยญer pubยญlic demonยญstraยญtions, we take action withยญin our sphere of influยญence. And I dare say that our many envirยญonยญmentยญal iniยญtiยญatยญives are makยญing a lot of difยญferยญence worldยญwide relยญatยญive to our size and reach. If we were to sign your petiยญtion, we would first have to use our resources to research the legitยญimยญacy of its creยญatยญors and then make sure that none of the comยญpanยญies on that list is being wrongยญfully accused. While it would be posยญsible, weโ€™ve decided that we can do more good by dirยญectยญing our resources to where we can make the most difference.โ€

โ€œWhy doesยญnโ€™t your comยญpany act against your female employยญees who take time off for aborยญtions?โ€

โ€œAll our employยญees are grown-ups, and what they do on their own time is frankly none of our busiยญness. Weโ€™re a large comยญpany, and we have employยญees who are pro-life and pro-choice. We believe we have a workยญplace where people can have difยญferยญent opinยญions but still respect each othยญer and work well together.โ€

โ€œWhy hasยญnโ€™t your comยญpany offered your thoughts and prayยญers for the vicยญtims and their famยญilยญies of the school shootยญing?โ€

โ€œThe vicยญtims and their famยญilยญies have our empathยญies, of course. I speak for everyยญone workยญing at our comยญpany when I say we were devยญastยญated by the news as everyยญone else. But youโ€™re right that we havenโ€™t posยญted any status updates about the shootยญing on our Facebook page. Itโ€™s not that we donโ€™t care (we do!), itโ€™s just that we focus our updates on our products and serยญvices and how they make a posยญitยญive difยญferยญence in the world.โ€

Learn more: The Stoic Tonality: Rise Above With Integrity

Annotations
Annotations
1 Ellwanger, A. (2012). Apology as Metanoic Performance: Punitive Rhetoric and Public Speech. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 42, 307โ€‰โ€”โ€‰329. https://โ€‹doiโ€‹.org/โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹.โ€‹1โ€‹0โ€‹8โ€‹0โ€‹/โ€‹0โ€‹2โ€‹7โ€‹7โ€‹3โ€‹9โ€‹4โ€‹5โ€‹.โ€‹2โ€‹0โ€‹1โ€‹2โ€‹.โ€‹7โ€‹0โ€‹4โ€‹118
2 Silfwer, J. (2024, May 2). The Core Message. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹cโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹sโ€‹sโ€‹aโ€‹ge/
3, 7 Silfwer, J. (2022, June 28). Media Spokesperson Training: Get Your Message Across. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹mโ€‹eโ€‹dโ€‹iโ€‹aโ€‹-โ€‹sโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹kโ€‹eโ€‹sโ€‹pโ€‹eโ€‹rโ€‹sโ€‹on/
4, 10 Silfwer, J. (2015, October 9). The Platitude Sickness: The Trash of Corporate Writing. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹lโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹iโ€‹tโ€‹uโ€‹dโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹sโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹kโ€‹nโ€‹eโ€‹ss/
5, 9 Silfwer, J. (2020, July 26). When a Public Apology is Warranted (And When Itโ€™s Not). Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹pโ€‹uโ€‹bโ€‹lโ€‹iโ€‹cโ€‹-โ€‹aโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹lโ€‹oโ€‹gy/
6, 8 Silfwer, J. (2020, May 23). Corporate Cringe. Doctor Spin | The PR Blog. https://โ€‹docโ€‹torโ€‹spinโ€‹.net/โ€‹cโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹pโ€‹oโ€‹rโ€‹aโ€‹tโ€‹eโ€‹-โ€‹cโ€‹rโ€‹iโ€‹nโ€‹ge/
Jerry Silfwer
Jerry Silfwerhttps://doctorspin.net/
Jerry Silfwer, alias Doctor Spin, is an awarded senior adviser specialising in public relations and digital strategy. Currently CEO at Spin Factory and KIX Communication Index. Before that, he worked at Kaufmann, Whispr Group, Springtime PR, and Spotlight PR. Based in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Cover Photo

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The cover photo has

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