Anatomy of an Offense: Public Apology Case Explorer

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Anatomy of an Apology

Explore real-world public apologies by the wrongdoing that prompted them. Discover the strategies people use to repair their image—and compare how those strategies work across cases.

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Teaching prompt: These cases share a type of wrongdoing. Where do the similarities end—and how should that affect the apology?

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Teaching Comparison

They faced similar problems. Did they apologize the same way?

1. What did each person or organization do?
How similar are the offenses, really?

2. What rhetorical problem does each apology need to solve?
Look for denial, excuse, justification, mortification, corrective action, or other strategies.

3. Which response seems most effective—and why?
Consider severity, power, audience expectations, and the harm involved.

^{© 2026 Public Apology Central is an academic research project maintained by Dr. Kevin Stein, Professor of Communication.}
^{Content hosted here is for non-profit educational and research purposes under Fair Use. Views and archived materials do not represent the official position of Southern Utah University.}