Chapter 11

1. Do you think Larry Summers was too outspoken?

Larry Summers is able to say what he pleases. He has that right. But i do believe he could have basically said the same thing, just differently, and it would have been better. He is able to say anything he wants, yes, but he is held in high regard in a very public position and needs to realize that when he says something, a lot of people are going to hear it. Summers got mixed up in all this trouble because he mixed business matters with personal matters. Even if his statements were “behind closed doors,” you always represent your place of employment. It doesn’t matter where you are or who you are talking to.

2. How would you characterize Summers’s remarks about diversity?

Meh. He probably didn’t say them to hurt anyone, but i don’t exactly think he was as sincere as he should have been when he was apologizing. He did give some money to women in science, but still.

3. Was it wise for the president to apologize after his public spats with the faculty?

Absolutely. If he didn’t he probably would have been treated even more harshly.

4. If you were Larry Summers’s public relations advisor, what would you have counseled him to do in presiding over such a tumultuous situation?

I would have him give multiple press conferences to try and limit the damage to his reputation. I would also suggest he admit that he was wrong. Don’t bother with the whole “statements were taken out of context” scenario. Nobody wants to hear his excuses. He should also give to a local charity or do some sort of community work to show he still cares about his community.

5. If you were Harvard Board’s public relations advisor, what would you have advised it to do about the Summers situation?

Harvard needs to do the classic “Summer’s values and beliefs to not reflect those of Harvard” speech and show the public that they are not a racist or sexist school. I would advise they ask Summers to resign. That would show they have a zero tolerance for that kind of behavior.

Chapter 17

1. What do you think of Michael Vick’s decision to accept jail time and hold a press conference?

I believe that this was a good decision on Vick’s part. Going to jail and having the press conference was a good way to show that he understood that he was wrong and knows that there were consequences for his actions. Showing that you he knew he was wrong helps the public see that he is human and makes mistakes.

2. If you were advising Vick, how would you suggest he comport himself now that he is back in the NFL? What should he do, in a public relations sense, when he is freed?

If I were advising Vick, I would suggest he come back to the NFL a “changed” man. He should show that he is making effort to make change in his life both on the field and off. He should take the opportunity to get back on the public’s good side. He should publicly say that he learned his lesson, things about himself, and let the public know that things will be different. He should realize that football is really important to him and he was foolish to jeopardize his career and life the way he did.

3. If you were advising the National Football League, how would you suggest it handle Vick’s reinstatement?

I would suggest they keep him supervised and accountable for everything he does until further notice. He’s already crossed the line and made the NFL look foolish once, so a zero tolerance policy with Vick should be instated. If Vick wants to play in their league, they better make sure he follows their rules.

4. If you were advising corporate sponsors, what would you suggest they do relative to Michael Vick, now that he is back in the NFL?

I would advise the sponsors to take advantage of press he’s getting. It would be silly not to take advantage of Vick being back to the NFL. For all of the people who don’t like Vick anymore, there were just as many people itching for him to come back.