Three Dead Horses, One Cancelled Show

HBO's "Luck" has run out. After three horses died, the HBO Show, starring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte, has been cancelled. 

In a statement, HBO explained the decision:

"Safety is always of paramount concern. We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures. While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen, and it is impossible to guarantee they won't in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) disagrees with this assessment, claiming that the organization suggested ways to protect the horses even before filming began. PETA also criticizes the use of former race horses, who were out of practice and out of shape and should never have been raced twice in one day. 

In a letter to the Los Angeles district attorney, PETA encourages an investigation and outlines circumstances, as it sees them, around the first two deaths.

Discussion Starters:

• Did HBO make the right decision to cancel "Luck" because of the horses' deaths?
• How do you assess HBO's statement? Is this the best approach?
• In PETA's letter to the LA district attorney, which do you believe are the strongest and weakest arguments?

Resigning Employee Says Goldman Is "Just About Making Money"

In a stinging op-ed piece in The New York Times, a former Goldman Sachs manager calls the company's culture "toxic and destructive" and says the company has lost its focus on clients. Greg Smith, former head of Goldman's U.S. equity derivatives business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, resigned from the firm as of today-and went out with a bang.

In some ways, the letter confirms the negative image of Goldman as too focused on profits:

"What are three quick ways to become a leader? a) Execute on the firm's 'axes,' which is Goldman-speak for persuading your clients to invest in the stocks or other products that we are trying to get rid of because they are not seen as having a lot of potential profit. b) 'Hunt Elephants.' In English: get your clients - some of whom are sophisticated, and some of whom aren't - to trade whatever will bring the biggest profit to Goldman. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't like selling my clients a product that is wrong for them. c) Find yourself sitting in a seat where your job is to trade any illiquid, opaque product with a three-letter acronym."

Smith also tallies recent image-damaging transgressions, with helpful links from The New York Times to related stories:

"It makes me ill how callously people talk about ripping their clients off. Over the last 12 months I have seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as "muppets," sometimes over internal e-mail. Even after the S.E.C., Fabulous Fab, Abacus, God's work, Carl Levin, Vampire Squids? No humility? I mean, come on. Integrity? It is eroding. I don't know of any illegal behavior, but will people push the envelope and pitch lucrative and complicated products to clients even if they are not the simplest investments or the ones most directly aligned with the client's goals? Absolutely. Every day, in fact."

Goldman was quick to respond to the letter:

"We disagree with the views expressed, which we don't think reflect the way we run our business. In our view, we will only be successful if our clients are successful. This fundamental truth lies at the heart of how we conduct ourselves."

CEO Lloyd Blankfein and COO Gary Cohn also responded in an open letter to employees: 

"In a company of our size, it is not shocking that some people could feel disgruntled.  But that does not and should not represent our firm of more than 30,000 people. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.  But, it is unfortunate that an individual opinion about Goldman Sachs is amplified in a newspaper and speaks louder than the regular, detailed and intensive feedback you have provided the firm and independent, public surveys of workplace environments.

"While I expect you find the words you read today foreign from your own day-to-day experiences, we wanted to remind you what we, as a firm – individually and collectively – think about Goldman Sachs and our client-driven culture."

For another perspective, Jim Cramer, of  MSNBC, says the letter is "devastating" and "shocking." (Forward to 1:10.)

Update: Goldman Sachs lost $2.15 billion in market value following Smith's letter; the stock dropped 3.4%, the third largest decline in the company's history, according to Bloomberg.

Discussion Starters:

• Read the entire op-ed letter by Greg Smith. What do you consider to be his strongest and weakest arguments?
  
• Read Goldman Sachs' response. Same question: What do you consider to be the company's strongest and weakest arguments?
• How, if at all, do you think the letter will affect Goldman's image?
• Do you think that Goldman Sachs will change its business practices as a result of this letter?

Controversy About "Homeless Hotspots" at SXSW

At South by Southwest (SXSW), a music, film, and technology conference, a marketing agency had an idea to help attendees get online. BBH Labs gave 13 people from a homeless shelter devices and T-shirts that give people Internet access, a hot commodity at the high-tech conference.

The program, "Homeless Hotspots," has been criticized by the New York Times and others. A writer for the New York Times SXSW blog asks, "When the infrastructure fails us… we turn human beings into infrastructure?" Tim Carmody of Wired.com said it "sounds like something out of a darkly satirical science-fiction dystopia." To many, the concept feels exploitative, a way of using homeless people to support the wealthy and connected.

Defenders of the program say it's a clever way to raise awareness about homelessness. Mitchell Gibbs, the director of development at Front Steps, from where the homeless people were recruited, supported the program. BBH says the program is modeled after Street News, a newspaper about homeless people sold by homeless people. BBH also clarified that participants at SXSW were given $20 each day and are keeping whatever money they get when people donate online.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of the program? Is it clever, exploitative, or something else?
• If you were at the SXSW conference, how you think you might feel about using one of the hotspots?

Rush Limbaugh Rejects Advertiser Wanting to Come Back

The Sleep Train wants to come back to The Rush Limbaugh Show, but the talk show host has rejected the company's request. The company pulled its advertising after Limbaugh had a run-in with Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student (and Cornell grad).

According to one report, over 140 companies have pulled their advertising, and apparently, The Sleep Train was the first. The Sleep Train had a 25-year advertising relationship with the show, but tweeted its initial decision:

Now, the Sleep Train wants to begin advertising once again. However, although his show now suffers with dead air during some commercial breaks, Limbaugh has cut off the relationship. In an email, the show explained the decision: 

"Thank you for your requests last week and this week to restart your voiced endorsement in local markets of The Rush Limbaugh Show. Rush received your requests personally.

"Unfortunately, your public comments were not well received by our audience, and did not accurately portray either Rush Limbaugh's character or the intent of his remarks. Thus, we regret to inform you that Rush will be unable to endorse Sleep Train in the future. 

"Rush appreciates your long friendship and your past support, and we wish you good luck in the future."

Limbaugh did apologize for his comments about the law student. On his website, he posted a statement that included this message:

"My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

Discussion Starters:

This is a highly charged, political situation, but let's focus on the relevant communication decisions and messages.

• How do you interpret Sleep Train's initial decision and its attempt to return?
  
• What's your view of Rush Limbaugh's decision to reject the advertiser? Does it reflect a smart business decision, sticking with one's principles, or something else?
• How well do you think Limbaugh's email conveyed the message to Sleep Train?
• How do you assess Limbaugh's apology? Do you find it sincere, insincere, or somewhere in between?

American Airlines Response About Flight Attendant

American Airlines passengers were alarmed when a flight attendant started screaming about 9/11 and a potential plane crash. The flight attendant was removed from the plane, and the Dallas-to-Chicago flight was delayed but eventually took off without any further trouble.

American Airlines issued this statement in response:

"This morning Flight 2332 had left the gate at DFW bound for Chicago, when an incident occurred involving some of the cabin crew. The aircraft returned to the gate, where it was met by Department of Public Safety officers. Two flight attendants were taken to local hospitals for treatment. We continue to investigate the details and circumstances and will have no further comment at this time. We will ensure that the affected flight attendants receive proper care, and we commend our other crew members for their assistance in quickly getting the aircraft back to the gate so that customers could be re-accommodated. Our customers were not in danger at any time. The cabin crew was replaced. The flight departed for Chicago at 9:46 a.m., and is scheduled to land around noon. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers, and we appreciate their patience and understanding."

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess American Airlines' response? What works well, and what could the company say differently?
• If you were American Airlines' head of customer relations, what, if anything, would you do for or communicate to the passengers of this flight?

MLA (Bizarre) Standard for Citing Tweets

The Modern Language Association has announced a new standard for citing tweets:

"Begin the entry in the works-cited list with the author's real name and, in parentheses, user name, if both are known and they differ. If only the user name is known, give it alone.

"Next provide the entire text of the tweet in quotation marks, without changing the capitalization. Conclude the entry with the date and time of the message and the medium of publication (Tweet).

The word "Tweet" is rather strange to me; we don't include the words "book" or "journal" in other citations. Rather, the source is Twitter. I might also include a date when the tweet was accessed for the same reason we do so for other web content: the tweet may be deleted.

The Verge compares MLA's approach to APA's, identified two years ago:

MLA:

APA:

As The Verge writer points out, the MLA version is more helpful because it includes the real name and Twitter handle, but the APA version helps readers find the actual tweet by including a link.

The Harvard Business School Citation Guide 2012, my preferred source for business writing, doesn't include tweets at all. I imagine the theory is that tweets are considered fair use and therefore, as long as the source is clear within the text, citation is unnecessary. Or, the HBS needs updating.

Discussion Starters:

• Do you prefer the APA or MLA citation standard? Why?
• What's your view of not citing tweets for business writing?

Huggies Revises Dad Ad

In what Advertising Age called a "poop-storm," Huggies ran a campaign called a "Dad Test." Described in the promotional video, Huggies promises "to prove Huggies diapers and wipes can withstand anything...put them to the toughest test imaginable: dads, alone with their babies in one house for five days, while we gave their moms some well-deserved time off."

Reactions to the campaign were mixed, with many feeling that the ad insults dads, 32% of whom are primary caregivers.

Huggies maker Kimberly-Clark responded to the controversy:

"We have heard the feedback from dads concerning our current 'real life' dad commercials. We recognize that we need to do a better job communicating the campaign's overall message. The singular goal with this campaign was to demonstrate the performance of our products in real-life situations because we know real life is what matters most to moms and dads. A fact of life is that dads care for their kids just as much as moms do and in some cases are the only caregivers.

"We intended to break out of stereotypes by showing that dads have an opinion on product performance just as much as moms do. That said, the Huggies brand is learning and listening, and, because of the responses we have received, are making changes to ensure that the true spirit of the campaign comes through in the strongest way possible.

"We have already replaced our initial TV ad with a new one that more clearly communicates our true intent and are in the process of revising the wording of the Huggies brand online communications."

Huggies has changed its approach and now encourages people to nominate great dads for a chance to win Huggies products.

Discussion Starters:

• Do you find the original Huggies ad offensive, funny, or something else? Do you understand the backlash, or do you think dads are over-reacting? 
• How do you assess Kimberly-Clark's response? What are the most and least convincing arguments?
• How successful is the revised approach? Will this satisfy those who were offended by the original ad?

Accounting Study: Be Careful with Video for Bad News

A new study found a discrepancy in how managers perceived a CEO who announced financial restatements via video compared to text. After viewing messages in each medium, managers were asked to rate the trustworthiness of a CEO who announced changes. Published in the March/April issue of The Accounting Review,  the study suggests that companies needing to issue restatements should do so via video only if they take responsibility for the bad news. The authors explain:

"Announcing a restatement online via video is likely to benefit firms only when top management apologizes for the restatement and accepts responsibility by making an internal attribution for the error. When management apologizes but denies responsibility by making an external attribution, announcing a restatement online via video is likely to have unintended negative effects on investors."

The messages varied by only one sentence in the middle of the statement:

• "We are fully responsible for this error because we relied on the advice of our internal lease accounting expert when preparing our financial statements." OR
• "We are not responsible for this error because we relied on the advice of external lease accounting experts when preparing our financial statements."

According to the study, using video is risky, but there is an upside. Managers who watched the video gave the CEO a trustworthiness rating of 6.15 out of 7 for the first statement and a mere 4.0 for the second. Managers who read text of the statements gave similar ratings for both: 4.75 and 4.55, respectively.

This study had a professional actor play the role of the CEO. For real situations, corporate communicators likely will consider many other factors before choosing video or text, including how well the CEO will come across to an audience of investors.

For more detail, see the study, "Using Online Video to Announce a Restatement: Influences on Investment Decisions and the Mediating Role of Trust."

Discussion Starters: 

• What do you think accounts for the discrepancy between a video and text?
• What would you advise a CEO to do when he or she has to issue a restatement because of an internal error? Should he or she risk creating a video? What would factor into your decision?
• If a company has to issue a restatement because of an external error, should the CEO take responsibility as if it were an internal error in hopes of garnering more investor support? (Careful!)

A Peak into Facebook's Corporate Culture

A feature in the next Fortune issue reveals a split corporate culture at Facebook: the "hacker" culture on which the company was built and the more corporate culture that is preparing the company to go public. The "hacker way" includes continuous improvement of products from anyone who can code; education isn't particularly valued as part of this culture. As one example of the hacker way, the Facebook "Like" button went through "dozens" of iterations.

The other culture is more corporate, led by COO Sheryl Sandberg. The Fortune article describes her influence:

"There's a term spoken quietly around Facebook to describe a cadre of elites who have assumed powerful positions under the leadership of Zuckerberg's chief operating officer: They're FOSS, or friends of Sheryl Sandberg. Many have followed her there after studying with her at the Harvard Business School or working with her at the U.S. Treasury Department or Google (GOOG). Several middle and senior executives who have left the company say that Sandberg has put friends in powerful positions, sometimes even when they were less qualified than other Facebook employees, and once there they enjoy special status. 'You can't really cross a FOSS,' says one former senior manager."

TechCrunch sums up the culture clash as a "tug of war between innovation and monetization." Facebook employees are concerned about how the IPO may affect the hacker culture; however, Andrew Bosworth, FB Director of Engineering doesn't agree with the article's portrayal of Facebook in some respects:

Discussion Starters:

• How would you describe the corporate culture at places where you worked?
• Have you experienced a healthy-or perhaps an unhealthy-conflict between different corporate cultures? To what do you attribute the conflict?
• What is the best way for Facebook to resolve this conflict? TechCrunch has some ideas from a business perspective; what are your ideas using an interpersonal approach?

Will This Student's Video Get Her into Yale?

Jackie Milestone really wants to go to Yale, but she was deferred admission. To try to influence the admissions committee, she created a video, "White and Blue for You."

It's a catchy tune, but Jackie might take some lessons in persuasive communication.

Discussion Starters:

• How does Jackie balance emotional appeal, logical arguments, and credibility in her video? 
• What suggestions do you have for Jackie to improve her video and possibly sway the admissions committee?
• If you were deciding Jackie's fate, would the video influence you? Why or why not?

Claire's Response to Jewelry Plagiarism Charges

Tatty Devine's website shows several suspiciously close comparisons between its jewelry designs and those of Claire's, a 3000-store retailer of jewelry and accessories. Tatty Devine's jewelry is high-end; the "dinosaur" necklace shown on the left side is handmade from bones and costs £132, while Claire's version is rubber and costs £4.

While the lawsuit is under way, social media activity rages on, and Claire's isn't handling it too well. The company has been criticized for deleted and ignoring Facebook comments, such as those below:

Claire's also took two days before responding to the plagiarism charge, which had already received support on Tatty Devine's blog. Finally, Claire's posted this statement on its Facebook page:

"Claire's Stores, Inc. is a responsible company that employs designers, product developers and buyers, and works with many suppliers to provide innovative collections that bring customers all the latest fashion trends. As such, we take any allegations of wrong doing seriously. We are looking into the matters raised."

One blogger described the statement this way: "The response is a stiff corporate apology that appears to dismiss the concerns expressed by their consumers."

PR expert Scott Douglas suggests this as a better approach:

"The pictures show remarkable similarities, and clearly that's upset a lot of people. We understand those reactions. That's why we are determined to get to the bottom of what happened and launched an immediate investigation. We promise to keep you updated."

I wonder how Claire's lawyers would like that response.

Discussion Starters:

• Compare Claire's response and proposed response. What are the benefits-and the risks-of each?
• What principles should Claire's follow when addressing social media comments?

Ben & Jerry's Lin-Sanity Gaffe

Ben & Jerry's is the latest company to join Lin-Sanity and face criticism. The company created a new frozen yogurt flavor to celebrate basketball star Jeremy Lin, "Taste The Lin-Sanity," featuring lychee honey and fortune cookie pieces. The ice cream is being sold in Harvard Square, but Ben & Jerry's has since removed the cookies from the mix.

Ryan Midden, the general manager of Ben & Jerry's in the Boston area, told Boston.com,

"There seemed to be a bit of an initial backlash about it, but we obviously weren't looking to offend anybody, and the majority of the feedback about it has been positive."

Midden also said that the fortune cookies were removed primarily because they got soggy.

Ben & Jerry's offered this official apology:

"We are proud and honored to have Jeremy Lin hail from one of our fine, local universities, and we are huge sports fans. We were swept up in the nationwide Linsanity momentum. Our intention was to create a flavor to honor Jeremy Lin's accomplishments and his meteoric rise in the NBA, and recognize that he was a local Harvard graduate. We try to demonstrate our commitment as a Boston-based, valued-led business and  if we failed in this instance, we offer our sincere apologies."

As in its recent complaint against ESPN, The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) offered advice. This time, the AAJA sent a "Media Advisory on Jeremy Lin News Coverage." The advisory warns against "factual inaccuracies about Lin's background as well as an alarming number of references that rely on stereotypes about Asians or Asian Americans" and cautions news organizations to "Stop to think: Would a similar statement be made about an athlete who is Caucasian, African American, Latino or Native American?" The statement also provides useful information about stereotypes to avoid.

Deadspin further explained:

"Also, 'Taste The Lin-Sanity' features lychee, which is a fruit native to Southeast Asia, which is not the part of Asia that Jeremy Lin comes from. (The part of Asia that Jeremy Lin comes from is Northern California.)"

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess Ben & Jerry's initial attempt at "Lin-Sanity" and the apology? What's your view of the situation?
• How does this situation compare to the recent ESPN comments related to Jeremy Lin?
• Read the AAJA's advice to the media. Which suggestions do you find useful, and which, if any, should be obvious? 
  

Microsoft Attacks Google Docs

Microsoft has created a campaign attacking Google Docs. In a video that has reached over 800,000 viewers, Microsoft mocks the "Googlighting Stranger"-set to the theme of the old TV show, "Moonlighting." The premise is, "What happens when the world's largest advertising business tries to sell productivity software on the side?"

Previously the brunt of jokes, such as Apple's highly successful "I'm a Mac; I'm a PC" campaign, Microsoft is now on the offensive. The video criticizes Google Docs for having fewer features and shifting capabilities, implying that programs can change and leave businesses in the lurch.

In a blog post, Microsoft's Tom Rizzo elaborates on the company's qualifications compared to Google's:

• Expertise
• Trust
• Flexibility
• Privacy
• Enabling Quality Work

Discussion Starters:

• How do you assess the video? Would it convince business people to stick with Microsoft products rather than switch to Google Docs?
• In Microsoft's blog post, what do you consider to be most and least convincing arguments?

Foxconn (and Apple) on the Defensive

In response to criticism about pay and working conditions, Apple product manufacturer Foxconn announced plans to raise wages. However, the numbers and the amount of overtime worked have been questioned.

ABC News visited the Shenzhen, China, factory and showed a grim side of the work: teenagers working long hours doing repetitive tasks and living in cramped dormitories. Foxconn workers make iPhones, iPads and other prized products.

Apple has a few dedicated pages on its website to demonstrate its commitment to "Supplier Responsibility." Instructors and students of business communication might find the company's reports interesting in light of the Foxconn criticism.

Foxconn recently hired PR firm Burson-Marstellar to help control the bad press.

Assignment Ideas:

• Create a PowerPoint presentation to explain the discrepancy in wages, as discussed in the New York Times blog. The calculations are a bit confusing, so try to clarify them with good visuals and talking headings.
• Read Apple's Supplier Responsibility 2012 Progress Report. Analyze how the report is organized. What are the strengths of the report? What is missing?

Sugarland Flubs Response to Victims

Country music group Sugarland is facing lawsuits following a stage collapse at a concert last summer. At the Indiana State Fair, seven people were killed and 45 were injured. 

In the lawsuits, victims and their families criticize the band and the fair for not postponing the show because of bad weather conditions and not evacuating more quickly. Attorneys for Sugarland responded harshly to the allegations: "Some or all of the plaintiffs' claimed injuries resulted from their own fault." Critics call the legal approach "cowardly." Read the entire legal statement. 

The statement is a dramatic contrast to what Jennifer Nettles, lead singer, said two days after the incident:

"...moved by the grief of those families who lost loved ones. Moved by the pain of those who were injured and the fear of their families. Moved by the great heroism as I watched so many brave Indianapolis fans actually run toward the stage to try and help lift and rescue those injured. Moved by the quickness and organization of the emergency workers who set up the triage and tended to the injured."

In response to criticism of the legal statement, Gail Gellman, Sugarland's manager, posted this on the group's website:

"Sadly when a tragedy occurs, people want to point fingers and try to sensationalize the disaster. The single most important thing to Sugarland, are their fans. Their support and love over the past 9 years has been unmatched. For anyone to think otherwise is completely devastating to them."

Also on the website are comments from many supportive fans, who compliment Sugarland and their music.

Although Sugarland had been tweeting almost daily, their last tweet was on February 15-now a week ago. Fans might like to hear directly from the duo.

Discussion Starters:

• What is the attorney's perspective in this situation? Do you agree with this position?
• What should the Sugarland duo do at this point? What, if anything, should they tweet or write on their website? What are the potential consequences, and is it worth it?

Facebook Profiles Predict Job Performance?

According to one study, a person's Facebook page can predict job performance more accurately than some personality tests. For the study, conducted by Northern Illinois University, the University of Evansville, and Auburn University, one faculty member and two students looked at Facebook profiles of 56 undergraduate students.

The Wall Street Journal summarizes the results:

"After spending roughly 10 minutes perusing each profile, including photos, wall posts, comments, education and hobbies, the raters answered a series of personality-related questions, such as 'Is this person dependable?' and 'How emotionally stable is this person?'

"Six months later, the researchers matched the ratings against employee evaluations from each of the students' supervisors. They found a strong correlation between job performance and the Facebook scores for traits such as conscientiousness, agreeability and intellectual curiosity.

"Raters generally gave favorable evaluations to students who traveled, had more friends and showed a wide range of hobbies and interests. Partying photos didn't necessarily count against a student; on the contrary, raters perceived the student as extroverted and friendly, says Don Kluemper, the lead researcher and a professor of management at Northern Illinois University."

Although employers may be intrigued about using Facebook as a screening tool, lawyers caution against making decisions that could be perceived as discriminatory. This is particularly an issue because employers can easily determine sex, race, religious beliefs, age, and other factors on a Facebook profile.

This is a small study, but the findings are interesting and may lay the groundwork for more research.

Discussion Starters:

• Do you agree with the study findings? Why or why not?
• How do you think a prospective employer would view your Facebook profile?
• In addition to potential discrimination claims, what are other reasons that employers may want to avoid looking at applicants' Facebook profiles?

"Strictly Confidential" Memo About Greece's Debt Is Leaked

As a new restructuring plan and bailout package for Greece are announced today, a memo about the plans marked "Strictly Confidential" was leaked. 

 (View the memo on Scribd.)

Based on the memo, Slate describes the situation as follows:

"Greece can't pay its bills. But even if Greece was relieved from the obligation to service its outstanding stock of debt, it still couldn't pay its remaining expenses. It can't devalue to try to boost its tourist sector. Instead, the rest of the Eurozone is heading into recession which hurts Greece's main shot at export earnings. Draconian as the austerity that Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland are insisting on as a condition of their charity accepting the charity is the only way to avoid an even more draconian round of austerity. This austerity will, however, only further crush the Greek economy and make it less likely that debts will be paid."

For instructors and students of communication, the memo is interesting to analyze in terms of business writing principles: audience analysis, content, visuals, organization, writing style, and editing.

Discussion Starters:

• Audience analysis: Who is the original, intended audience? How did the leak affect how the memo was interpreted?
• Content: Are the main points clear? What evidence is provided to support the major arguments?
• Visuals: How are charts used to support the main points? Are they clear and easy to understand?
• Organization: How is the memo organized, and is this effective? How is skim-value achieved?
• Writing Style: How do you assess the writing style? Is it clear and concise? How could it be improved?
• Editing: How are the attention to detail and writing mechanics?

ESPN Apologizes for "Chink in the Armor" Caption and Comment

For 35 minutes, ESPN's mobile website showed the caption "Chink in the Armor" under a photo of basketball superstar Jeremy Lin. An ESPN commentator also used the phrase related to Jeremy Lin, shown in the video below the website.  

 

The Asian Americans Journalist Association (AAJA) wrote a letter including the following excerpt: 

"We at the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) find it hard to fathom how such an offensive headline appeared on your publishing platforms. The phrase was even spoken on-air.

"We are glad ESPN has recognized its mistake, and we appreciate the quick apology for the transgression. 

"Many people, not just in Asian American communities, are shocked that a news company with a long tradition of excellence would use a racial epithet. It's particularly galling because of the weeks of discussion about Lin, his heritage and even the wave of outright racism surrounding his stardom.

"We are particularly concerned that an organization as large as yours did not have the proper checks in place to prevent the mistake. It is hard to fathom how editors on so many of your platforms failed to uphold your normally high standards.

"Of course, it disappoints us to see one of our most valued and committed partners in diversity stumble. As you well know, this incident does not live up to the Leadership in Diversity Award that AAJA bestowed on ESPN in 2010. But we trust that you will transform this incident into a teachable moment."

In a statement, ESPN said, 

"We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake."

In a tweet, Rob King, ESPN's senior vice president for editorial, print and digital media, posted,

"There's no defense for the indefensible. All we can offer are our apologies, sincere though incalculably inadequate."

Let's hope we get more of an explanation from ESPN. How does this ethnic slur get through an editorial process?

UPDATE: The ESPN editor who wrote the headline was fired. Here's his explanation. Do you believe him?

Discussion Starters:

• How do you think the phrase was intended? Was it an innocent mistake, planned as a joke, or something else?
• How do you think this happened? ESPN has writers and people who read the written comments. How could this slip by?
• What is your assessment of ESPN's apology so far?
• Read the Asian Americans Journalist Association's entire letter. What are the strongest and weakest arguments?

Memes and More Memes

Memes are pure fun-and good examples of visual communication. These depictions of culture are making the Internet rounds and may have some uses in business.

"What I Really Do" shows different perspectives of jobs, such as a bank clerk.

Mashable has gathered 20 of the best college memes, and Northwestern University has its own Facebook page of memes, which are probably funnier if you go to the school.

Discussion Starters:

• How could businesses use memes? Brainstorm ideas for recruitment, marketing, and team building.
• One Northwestern student wrote an article using memes. What do you think of this approach?

Emails Goes Mobile

New research shows dramatic changes in where people access email. Between December 2010 and December 2011, according to BI Intelligence, web-based email dropped more than 30% for people between 12 and 24 years old. Email is moving to mobile devices-phones and tablets.

As you can see from the chart, results are mixed for older generations. This is one reason that I wouldn't get too excited about the so-called "death of email." Email is still highly pervasive in business, where we see people between 45 and 54 years old and about a 15% increase in web-based email. Also, people are still using email; they're just accessing it differently. Another study, by Radicati, indicates that 85% of business people access email on a mobile device. Whether people use both a browser and a phone is unclear from these numbers. 

Yet the numbers likely predict a future increase in mobile email-no surprise to any of us, really.

This move has significant implications for how we write and respond to email messages. The lines between email and texting may continue to fade, and maybe we'll finally delete mobile-device tags, such as "Sent from my iPhone."

Discussion Starters:

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of using email on a browser and a mobile device?
• What are your thoughts about the tag "Sent from my [mobile device]"? Does it explain short messages or excuse lack of attention to detail?