Chapter 1

Question 1: Had you been advising Imus, what would you have counseled him to say/do after making his racial slur?

If I were to counsel Imus, he would need to admit he screwed up. This should be done publicly and the apology should be to the Rutgurs team, their families, and Rutgurs as a whole. His words didn’t just affect the players but also Rutgurs’ persona. He would have to acknowledge how poorly his judgement was and he understands the severity of his statement.

Question 2: Had you been advising his employers, WFAN and MSNBC, what would you have counseled them to do?

If I were advising Imus’ employers, I would advise they consider his termination and make him publicly apologize. I would also suggest they apologize that someone they hired and trusted would say such a thing and that they do not share his views and do not condone his actions.

Question 3: How would you have counseled Imus with respect to Al Sharpton? Would you have gone on Sharpton’s radio show?

If I were Imus, going on Al Sharpton’s show would have been out of the question. There are many, many other ways of resolving the conflict and making up for the statement than going on a radio show with someone who will just rip you apart.

Question 4: How do you explain Imus’ “radio friends” failing to stick up for him in his hour of need?

Honestly, which one of Imus’ friends wanted to be known as the person who defended him? Friends are friends because they do right thing and defending someone who was clearly in the wrong is definitely not the right thing to do. His friends were probably just as shocked and disappointed as everyone else. I don’t blame them.

Question 5: How must Imus comport himself now on the air?

He needs to update his “filter.” There’s that switch in everyone’s head that goes off when a though pops in that says “Oh, I probably shouldn’t say this out loud.” He’s in a profession where that filter cannot fail. In other words, he needs to think about what he’s going to say before he says it because he proved that not everything he comes up with is appropriate.