It's safe to say Goldman Sachs, Toyota and BP had a rough year. The three high-profile companies all faced huge catastrophes and then suffered the public relations nightmares that followed (and continue to plague them).
Goldman Sachs became a national symbol of Wall Street greed, being the first major firm to face legal charges after the housing crisis. Toyota recalled millions of its vehicles due to faulty accelerators on its cars. Finally, there was the BP oil gusher, which lasted for nearly three months, while victims still have no definitive answer for the amount of damage it caused.
But is there anything these companies could have done to lessen the blow of the backlash against them? Mike Paul, of MGP & Associates P.R., calls himself "The Reputation Doctor." He says we are seeing an increasing number of public relations disasters because "people are taking risks at a higher level and hoping they don't get caught." Peter Goodman, a writer for The New York Times, also weighs in on the discussion.
President Obama Seeks to Narrow 'War on Terror,' A Closer Look at the IRS Inquiry, Boy Scouts to Allow Gay Members
The DSM and Mental Health in America
Defining Normal After a Diagnosis of Schizophrenia, The Mayor of Oklahoma City, A New Kind of Commencement Speech
Lessons From a Female Union Electrician
Diplomatic Damage Caused by Drone Strikes, In Defense of the DSM-5, Bob Woodruff's Advice for New Grads
The show is a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International, in collaboration with New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston.
Major funding provided by:
Comments [2]
My question with regard to Toyota is, "Why apologize? For what?"
IN the case of Toyota, the aplogies should be flowing from Conress, the trial lawyers and a credulous press, for fomenting a crisis that appears to be based on no sound science or engineering. A national hysteria, in which careful examination of the black-box data in some of the most spectacularly-expolited cases shows that drivers were standing on the gas pedal when they thought they were applying th brakes.
But here we have The Takeaway, further pushing the hysteria even after the real story is finally becoming belatedly-accepted fact.
In the spirit of disclosure - I'd like to know if of your 'spin doctor' guest offered his company's services to any of the 3 companies mentioned.
When he spoke of BP - I thought I could detect the faint taste of sour grapes.
He certainly had a lot to say about 'oil plumes the size of Manhattan'.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.