Police News Conference About the Newtown, CT, School Shooting

A terrible tragedy took place at an elementary school in Newtown, CT. A school shooting left at least 27 people dead, including 18 children (according to an MSNBC count to date). In the face of such an unimaginable event, state police delivered a news conference to update the public.

The news conference begins (at least what we see here), with an explanation of why the CT state governor isn't present at the conference.

Next, the lieutenant explained what happened, with a focus on safety. He also acknowledged fatalities but said that more information was not being released. In most situations like this, the priority is on notifying families: no one wants to hear on TV that a loved one has been killed.

The conference ends with promises for updates and assurance that "the public is not in danger."

Discussion Starters:

• This news conference is very soon: how well did the police handle the news? 
• What are the most important points that the police want people to know at this point? To what extent did they accomplish these objectives?

Cheerios' Facebook Campaign Fuels Controversy over GMOs

Another social media campaign gone awry: Cheerios' attempt for people to comment on what the cereal means to them turned into a free-for-all about the product. Thousands of posts criticized the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the cereal. The comments likely are the result of recently defeated Proposition 37, which would have required labeling of GMO products.

General Mills had been posting the comments, some via an app that displayed them in the Cheerios font. Since then the company has discontinued the app and stopped posting comments for some time. The company also removed anti-GMO photos from the Facebook page.

Todd Larsen, Green America Corporate Responsibility Programs Director, encourages consumers to understand the product and calls on the company to respond:

"At GMO Inside's Facebook page, people can see which ingredients in Cheerios and other products are likely to be genetically modified. Cheerios needs to label or remove the GMO ingredients. Consumers have a right to know."

The company's response has been minimal. Where the app was on the Facebook page is now this note:

"We consider your comments, and we listen to your point of view. Our community is passionate about food and about Cheerios. There are many varied opinions and they are often very strong. We've created this space to enable robust conversations, and we invite you to share your thoughts on things we're doing well and on areas we can improve. We ask only that you remain respectful and considerate of others as you're posting, in keeping with our community guidelines."

Critics say that General Mills should have known better: the opposition was clear, so the social media campaign was too risky, and the result is not surprising.

Discussion Starters: 

• What's your view of GMO products? Do they concern you or not? What research are you relying on to shape your opinion? 
• How else should General Mills respond to the controversy on its Facebook page or elsewhere?

"Gangnam Style" Rapper Psy Apologizes for Anti-American Song

Psy, the popular "Gangnam Style" rapper, has apologized for anti-American lyrics in a 2004 song.

At a charity event, Psy met with President Obama and addressed the recent reports of his earlier protest song, "Dear American." The inflammatory words included, "Kill those f---ing Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives/Kill those f---ing Yankees who ordered them to torture/Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers/Kill them all slowly and painfully." In a 2002 concert, Psy smashed an American tank. 

Although an online petition called for Psy to be removed from the "Christmas in Washington" event at the White House, the show went on as planned. 

Through MTV, Psy issued this apology:

"As a proud South Korean who was educated in the United States and lived there for a very significant part of my life, I understand the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world. The song I was featured in -- from eight years ago -- was part of a deeply emotional reaction to the war in Iraq and the killing of two innocent Korean civilians that was part of the overall antiwar sentiment shared by others around the world at that time," the statement read. "While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted. I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused anyone by those words.

"I have been honored to perform in front of American soldiers in recent months - including an appearance on the Jay Leno show specifically for them - and I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology," the statement concluded. "While it's important we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so. In my music I try to give people a release, a reason to smile. I have learned that though music, our universal language we can all come together as a culture of humanity and I hope that you will accept my apology."

Discussion Starters:

• Was allowing Psy to perform at the charity event the right decision? Why or why not?
• What's your reaction to Psy's apology? What communication strategies does he use successfully-or not?

Citi Lays Off 11,000 and Blunders Press Release

Someone needs a better editor-and a heart. To announce 11,000 employee layoffs, Citi issued a press release titled, "Citigroup Announces Repositioning Actions to Further Reduce Expenses and Improve Efficiency." "Repositioning" appears 17 times in the release.

Sure, layoffs usually are good news for Wall Street, but the real damage is the layoffs, not mentioned until late in the release and suspiciously absent from the three lines summarizing the statement up front:

• Fourth quarter 2012 pre-tax charges to total approximately $1 billion
• Approximately $900 million of expense savings expected to benefit 2013 results
• Projected annual expense savings to exceed $1.1 billion beginning in 2014

The quote from new CEO Michael Corbat is a real tear-jerker, too:

"These actions are logical next steps in Citi's transformation. While we are committed to – and our strategy continues to leverage – our unparalleled global network and footprint, we have identified areas and products where our scale does not provide for meaningful returns. And we will further increase our operating efficiency by reducing excess capacity and expenses, whether they center on technology, real estate or simplifying our operations."

Although companies may justify jargon as required for the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), they are free to craft messages any way they would like. Companies need to be smarter about their audiences, knowing that employees likely will read their press releases.

Assignment Ideas:

• Read the entire press release. Identify all of the verbs that can be improved. Also look for nominalizations, and change these nouns and adjectives to strong verbs.
• Rewrite the press release. What improvements can you make to the text and the CEO's quote?

Penn State Investigates Sorority's Mexican-Themed Party

The women of Chi Omega Nu Gamma at Penn State may be regretting their Mexican-themed party. Sporting ponchos, sombreros and a few mustaches, women held signs that read "Will Mow Lawn for Weed + Beer" and "I Don't Cut Grass. I Smoke It."

The university is investigating the situation and, according to one source, is considering suspending the sorority. The Panhellenic Council executive board released a statement about the incident:

"The Penn State Panhellenic Council recognizes the offensive nature of the photo and is therefore taking the matter very seriously. We are addressing the situation immediately with the members of the chapter in conjunction with their national headquarters. The Penn State Panhellenic Council does not condone any form of derogatory behavior from any of our members. Our Council and all its members strive to hold ourselves to a high standard and are disappointed by any failure to meet these expectations."

Vice President of the Mexican American Student Association, Cesar Sanchez Lopez, also commented on the incident:

"The Mexican American Student Association is disappointed in the attire chosen by this sorority. It in no way represents our culture. Not only have they chosen to stereotype our culture with serapes and sombreros, but the insinuation about drug usage makes this image more offensive. Our country is plagued by a drug war that has led to the death of an estimated 50,000 people, which is nothing to be joked about."

Jessica Riccardi, president of the sorority chapter, issued this apology:

"Our chapter of Chi Omega sincerely apologizes for portraying inappropriate and untrue stereotypes. The picture in question does not support any of Chi Omega's values or reflect what the organization aspires to be."

The sorority has suffered some backlash. Posters criticizing the photo are circulated around campus. 

Discussion Starters:

• What's your reaction to the party? Is it offensive, just plain fun, or something else?
  
• What, if any, action do you think the university should take?

Lego Comes Through for Little Boy

For two years, James Groccia, an 11-year-old boy with Asperger's Syndrome, saved up for his dream Lego train set, but it had been discontinued. James wrote a letter to Lego and received a nice response-and the set he wanted.

James's mother, Karen, described the boy's process for writing the letter:

"James was very concise about what he wanted to say. He planned it, and I just helped him organize his thoughts."

How about that. James hasn't even taken a Business Communication course.

Lego's response is very enthusiastic and obviously tailored to James:

Discussion Starters:

• James's letter is great-for an 11-year-old boy-but it could be improved to meet business writing principles. What could be changed? 
• Lego's letter isn't perfect either. What would you advise that Megan change in future letters?

News Corp's Reorganization Announcement

News Corp will split into two separate, public companies: one focused on entertainment and the other on publishing. The company also announced the closing of its tablet newspaper because of low readership.

In a press release, the company announced leadership changes of the publishing company (News Corporation), additional organization changes in the New York office, organizational changes in the London office, and plans for the separation of the publishing company from the entertainment company (Fox Group).

In an internal email, Chairman Rupert Murdoch explained the changes, complimented the employees' work, and shared his personal mission for the company:

"Many of you know that a belief in the power of the written word has been in my bones for my entire life. It began as I listened to my father's stories from his days as a war correspondent and, later, a successful publisher. It deepened when, starting in grammar school, I rolled up my sleeves and worked alongside fellow students to publish school journals. I witnessed the hunger people had for well-written, thoroughly observed stories ... stories that provide not just information, but insight. That hunger is alive and well today; my personal mission is to serve and satisfy the human need for insight as well as I possibly can."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• Read the company's press release in detail. How is it organized? What works well about the structure, and what could be improved?
• What is your reaction to Murdoch's email to employees? What are his most important messages, and how do you think employees might react?

Why We Should Stop Making Fun of Obama's Emails

During the presidential campaign, the Obama Administration was criticized for sending emails some called "creepy" and "desperate." Well, laugh no more! According to Bloomberg Businessweek, "Most of the $690 million Obama raised online came from fundraising emails."

With subject lines such as "Wow," "Hey," and "Join me for dinner?" the emails were crafted by a team of analysts experimenting with different approaches to see what garnered the most financial support. During the campaign, Obama's staff was secretive about the email strategy, but now we learn that 20 writers would draft as many as 18 variations of emails to test responses before sending out the winning version.

 

Amelia Showalter, the director of digital analytics, explains how the campaign changed emails based on results:

"We were so bad at predicting what would win that it only reinforced the need to constantly keep testing. Every time something really ugly won, it would shock me: giant-size fonts for links, plain-text links vs. pretty 'Donate' buttons. Eventually we got to thinking, 'How could we make things even less attractive?' That's how we arrived at the ugly yellow highlighting on the sections we wanted to draw people's eye to."

What can business writers learn from the analysis? Here are a few key points that may be adapted for work email:

• The most effective subject lines were similar "to what you might see in your in-box from other people," according to email director.
• Light profanity (e.g., "hell") got a strong reaction.
• Although the emails may have been "mildly irritating" to some, people did not unsubscribe, showing a lot of tolerance for a lot of messages.

Discussion Starters:

• Based on the previous criticism, are you surprised at the results of the email campaign? Why or why not?
• I'm not sure that business writers should use profanity in their email, but how could you interpret this finding and write subject lines for a professional work environment?
• Review a few of your own emails sent for business purposes. Given this analysis, what, if anything, would you change?

Bank of America CEO's "Star Trek Special"

This isn't a good week for Bank of America. A Rolling Stone article describes CEO Brian Moynihan looking foolish during his testimony about the bank's acquisition of Countrywide Financial Corporation, one of the companies that sold subprime mortgages before the 2008 crash:  

"In this long-awaited interrogation – Bank of America has been fighting to keep Moynihan from being deposed in this case for some time – Moynihan does a full Star Trek special, boldly going where no deponent has ever gone before, breaking out the 'I don't recall' line more often and perhaps more ridiculously than was previously thought possible. Moynihan seems to remember his own name, and perhaps his current job title, but beyond that, he'll have to get back to you.."

The full testimony is, for a court document, rather entertaining to read, including this excerpt: 

 

Discussion Starters:

• Read as much of the full testimony as you can tolerate. What's your view of how Brian Moynihan comes across?
• This is a difficult question without knowing the legal constraints, but how else do you think  Moynihan could have handled the questions?

Bank of America Gets Slammed for Losing Death Certificate Three Times

In what sounds like an astounding lack of decent service, Bank of America has given the son of a deceased woman more than the usual run around. Matt, a college student, lost his mother on October 1. Since then, he has been fighting with the bank to deal with the mortgage on her property.

According to Matt, as told to The Consumerist, the bank has lost several copies of the woman's death certificate:

"The first call ended after the associate we were speaking to told us that the only person they could talk to was the person who was listed on the mortgage: my mother.

"Since she was deceased, that's obviously not possible, so we explained 'death' to the person we were speaking to. They said they had to talk to my mother, we decided it was hopeless, and gave up.

"We later got on the phone with someone else who said to send them a copy of the death certificate. They lost that one. Then they lost the next one. Then they lost the third, hand-delivered, death certificate. They finally managed to get the death certificate to a filing cabinet on the fourth try. They sent a letter acknowledging they had received the death certificate, but still they asked to speak with the person on the mortgage."

Curiously, Bank of America was criticized recently for requesting a death certificate of a customer who isn't dead. A filmmaker created a short video explaining that "Bank of America wants you to die before you modify" a mortgage loan.  

This could explain why, on the Customer Service Scoreboard, Bank of America is rated 25.91 out of 200 (compared to Zappos, rated 186). The site includes 1131 negative comments and 46 positive comments-not a great showing.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What gives the consumer credibility in his assessment? In other words, how do we know that Matt is likely telling the truth about what has happened?
• As of this writing, I don't see a response from Bank of America about the situation with Matt.  If you were the head of customer service for the bank, would you write a statement about the situation? If so, what would you include?

Tobacco Companies Have to Admit Deception

For at least the next two years, tobacco companies will place ads that admit they have been lying. A federal judge has ruled that companies such as Reynolds, Philip Morris (a division of Altria), and Lorilland will start spending some of their advertising dollars to compensate for "past deception."

The judge ordered "corrective statements" to appear on cigarette packaging, as commercials on major TV stations, as full-page newpaper ads, and on corporate websites:

• Smoking kills, on average, 1,200 Americans. Every day.
• A federal court has ruled that the defendant tobacco companies deliberately deceived the American public by falsely selling and advertising low tar and light cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes.
• Cigarette companies intentionally designed cigarettes with enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction.
• When you smoke, the nicotine actually changes the brain-that's why quitting is so hard.

Curiously, the media outlets don't seem to include social media.

The tobacco companies tried to omit words such as "deceived" in these ads, but the judge's order stands. Still, companies may try to appeal the decision.

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• What's your view of the judge's decision: is it fair, or does it violate the companies' rights (as they claim)?
• What impact, if any, do you think the advertisements will have on smokers or people thinking of taking up smoking? Could the advertisements influence some groups more than others? Which and why?
• Why didn't the judge include social media outlets for these ads? What, if any, difference would this make?

FreshDirect Updates Customers on Storm Recovery

FreshDirect Co-Founder and CEO Jason Ackerman sent an email to update customers on the company's recovery since Hurricane Sandy. Located in Long Island City, Queens, FreshDirect was hit hard by the storm.

Early in the message, Ackerman writes that FreshDirect is "largely back to pre-storm availability." The main point is clear, but where is it placed, and is "largely" the best word choice? 

 

With easy-to-read bullets, Ackerman highlights other key messages for customers about meeting service expectations, replacing lost trucks with greener options, and contributing to relief efforts.

Discussion Starters:

• What are the other strengths of Ackerman's email, and what other suggestions would you make to improve the message?
• If you were a customer of FreshDirect, how do you think the email would make you feel? How would it affect your image of the company?

Guy Fieri Gets Mocked and Responds

The New York Times published a scathing review of Guy Fieri's new restaurant, Guy's American Kitchen & Bar in Times Square. Reviewer Pete Wells wrote just a series of questions including the following:

• Hey, did you try that blue drink, the one that glows like nuclear waste? The watermelon margarita? Any idea why it tastes like some combination of radiator fluid and formaldehyde?
• How did Louisiana's blackened, Cajun-spiced treatment turn into the ghostly nubs of unblackened, unspiced white meat in your Cajun Chicken Alfredo?
• What is going on at this new restaurant of yours, really?
• Does this make it sound as if everything at Guy's American Kitchen & Bar is inedible? I didn't say that, did I?

To respond to the review, Fieri appeared on The Today Show. When asked whether reading the review felt like a "punch in the gut," Fieri said he thought the review was "ridiculous" and "overboard." He took issue with the tone and question style, and implied that the reviewer might have had another agenda:

"It's a great way to make a name for yourself: go after a celebrity chef that's not a New Yorker that is doing big concept, and in the second month [fist punch into his hand]..."

The interviewer also pointed to less-than-stellar Yelp reviews, to which Fieri admitted that the food isn't perfect but noted that it's still early in the restaurant's tenure.

Saturday Night Live produced a skit about Fieri, although it didn't appear on air:

Discussion Starters:

• What's your assessment of the review? Is it probably fair, a personal attack, or something else?
• How effective is Guy Fieri's response on The Today Show? How could he have taken a different approach?

Fun Facts About the Emoticon

The New York Times today featured Scott Fahlman, creator of the smiley face. Fahlman invented the character, which he called a "joke marker," back in 1982 to temper flaming in online discussion forums.

A linguist analyzed millions of tweets to see how emoticons were used and found that 10% of tweets had some type of character. His reasoning was that people could more accurately describe emotion in a longer paragraph, but shorter messages may require explanation.

We could debate whether and how emoticons should be used in business writing ad nauseum. Proponents see the ocassional smiley as a way to ensure accurately interpreted messages, particularly to convey tone, often misunderstood in business email.

Opponents think emoticons are silly and unprofessional. Writing instructors worry about the degradation of the language. As one communication lecturer said, "Certainly I understand the need for clarity. But language, used properly, is clear on its own." A British radio personality said, "If anybody on Facebook sends me a message with a little smiley-frowny face or a little sunshine with glasses on them, I will de-friend them. I also de-friend for OMG and LOL. They get no second chance. I find it lazy. Are your words not enough? To use a little picture with sunglasses on it to let you know how you're feeling is beyond ridiculous."

A recent CNN article offers this sound advice: use an emoticon if you must, "But nix emoticons from any initial emails with new contacts."

Image source.

Discussion Starters:

• When do you use emoticons in your writing?
• In addition to initial emails, as CNN suggests, when would you avoid using emoticons in business email?

Statements About Elmo Puppeteer's Resignation

After 28 years as Elmo's puppeteer, Kevin Clash has resigned following accusations of underage sexual relations. Last year, Clash starred in a documentary, "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey."

On its website, Sesame Street posted this message:

After Clash's resignation, the website was updated with another statement:

Further, in a statement to the press, Sesame Street noted, "None of us [at Sesame Workshop], especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. . . . Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding Kevin's personal life has become a distraction that none of us want, and he has concluded that he can no longer be effective in his job. . . .This is a sad day for ‘Sesame Street.' "

Kevin Clash provided his own statement about the situation: 

"I am resigning from Sesame Workshop with a very heavy heart... I have loved every day of my 28 years working for this exceptional organization. Personal matters have diverted attention away from the important work ‘Sesame Street' is doing and I cannot allow it to go on any longer. I am deeply sorry to be leaving and am looking forward to resolving these personal matters privately."

Discussion Starters:

• Assess Sesame Street's statements. What is effective, and what could be improved?
• How, if at all, do you think Elmo's image will be affected?
• How can Sesame Street preserve the brand at this point?

New NYT CEO Emails Staff

Mark Thompson, new CEO of The New York Times Company, emailed staff after his first week at work. This is a great example for business communication students to study:

• Content: What are Thompson's main points? What does he want NYT employees to know, and how does he want them to feel?
• Organization: What structure does Thompson use for his message? How does he sequence paragraphs? How does he convey the main point of each paragraph?
• Tone: How would you describe Thompson's tone? What changes, if any, do you see throughout the email? How does he balance positive messages with a sense of urgency?
• Sentence variety: How does Thompson vary sentence structure throughout his email? How many different types of sentences (simple, compound, complex) does he use?
• Punctuation: As we might expect, Thompson uses impeccable puntuation. How does he use m-dashes and semi-colons effectively?

As I finish my first week at The New York Times Company, I would like to thank the many people I've already met. As you'd expect, Times employees come across as super-smart and totally committed to maintaining the values and quality that the company and its newspapers have always stood for. But I've also been struck by how friendly and welcoming you've been to me.

I've been impressed by the work that's already in motion to tackle the structural trends that our industry faces and the products and services we're developing that will drive new growth and profitability, all while securing the brilliant journalism on which everything else depends. The digital subscription story continues to be an exciting one, and we can build on it further. With Invest in the Times and similar projects at the Globe and IHT, our company is already focusing on other growth opportunities. We are looking in the right places for future success: understanding and engaging with our readers and consumers better; developing compelling propositions in video, mobile and social; and figuring out how to drive more revenue from international audiences. The work done so far is really valuable.

But I don't want to underestimate the challenges we face. As our third-quarter results showed, the company is experiencing the same advertising and economic pressures as the rest of our industry. Figuring out how best to respond to these pressures - especially the long-term downward trajectory of print advertising - is also going to be an important part of our work in the coming months.

Thank you for a productive and inspiring first week. To help us get to know each other better, we have scheduled Town Hall meetings with me for Monday, Dec. 17, and Tuesday, Dec. 18, in The Times Center and Wednesday, Dec. 19, at College Point. More details will follow soon. I plan to have Town Hall meetings in Boston and at the IHT as soon as possible.

No More Twinkies?

Hostess Brands announced that the company will close, primarily because of labor issues. In a statement, the company blames a union strike for dooming the maker of beloved Ho Ho's, Ding Dongs, Sno Balls, and Twinkies.

CEO Gregory F. Rayburn said the company doesn't have the "financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike." The company statement emphasizes challenges and concessions already made: 

"Hostess Brands is unprofitable under its current cost structure, much of which is determined by union wages and pension costs. The offer to the BCTGM included wage, benefit and work rule concessions but also gave Hostess Brands' 12 unions a 25 percent ownership stake in the company, representation on its Board of Directors and $100 million in reorganized Hostess Brands' debt."

Although Hostess' 18,500 employees, understandably, are upset with the decision, some say the pay cuts were intolerable: "The point is the jobs they're offering us aren't worth saving."

Critics of the decision also cite post-bankruptcy-filing executive pay increases between 75 and 85%.

If you want a Twinkie badly enough, you can get a whole box on eBay for a mere $200,000 (starting bid). But some hope the brands will be bought, so the Twinkie may live on, after all.

Discussion Starters:

• Analyze the company's statement in terms of structure, content choices, and tone. What works well, and what could be improved? (Download the statement.)
• What persuasive strategies do you identify in the statement? Are you convinced that Hostess made the right decision?

Victoria's Secret: "Spitting on Our Culture"

Victoria's Secret has apologized for outfitting a runway model in a Native American-style headdress, leopard-print underwear, turquoise jewelry, and high heels. A Chicago Tribune article explained the significance of a headdress, which may explain why the get-up was called offensive:

"Headdresses historically are a symbol of respect, worn by Native American war chiefs and warriors. For many Plains tribes, for example, each feather placed on a headdress has significance and had to be earned through an act of compassion or bravery. Some modern-day Native American leaders have been gifted war bonnets in ceremonies accompanied by prayers and songs."

A Navajo Nation spokesperson further explained, "Any mockery, whether it's Halloween, Victoria's Secret-they are spitting on us. They are spitting on our culture, and it's upsetting."

The company responded to criticism with a rather generic apology: "We sincerely apologize as we absolutely had no intention to offend anyone." In addition, model Karlie Kloss tweeted her own apology:

 

Discussion Starters:

• As you might expect, not everyone agrees that Victoria's Secret needed to apologize. Online comments suggested that people should "grow a thicker skin" and that "Indians should get over themselves." What's your view?
• How do you assess Victoria's Secret's apology? Is this enough? If not, what else should the company do or say?  

5-Hour Energy Drink Responds to Death Claims

According to the Food and Drug Administration, 13 deaths over four years may be linked to the caffeine-infused 5-Hour Energy drink. More than 90 filings with the FDA have cited the beverage as a possible cause of heart attacks and other physical problems.

Packaged not as a beverage but as a shot, 5-Hour Energy is marketed as a dietary supplement, which makes regulation challenging for the FDA.

Manoj Bhargava, CEO of Living Essentials, the company that distributes the product, originally told The New York Times, "I am not interested in making any comment." However, the company has since issued a statement defending the product and its warnings to users.

Discussion Starters:

• Analyze Living Essentials' statement. What are the strongest and weakest arguments?
• In the statement, the company makes no mention of the deaths potentially associated with the product. Why or why not is this a good decision?
• What else, if anything, could the company include in its statement?

Yahoo's Server Crashes Before Fantasy Football Game

Yahoo learned a hard lesson when its server went down before kickoff on Sunday. Fantasy Football players turned to Twitter to vent their frustration.

Yahoo's site is one of the most popular for Fantasy Football game players. When users were able to log into the site, they saw this message:

"We apologize sincerely for the outage on Sunday. We are working on the fix-the site is stabilized-and will update everyone on next steps for how to handle week 10. Currently, data and scores can be viewed on our mobile apps but for now you cannot make transactions or change line-ups from the apps."

Head of Yahoo Sports Ken Fuchs also sent this email to Fantasy Football players:

Dear Yahoo! Fantasy Users,

I want to sincerely apologize to all of you about today's Yahoo! Sports Fantasy outage. As the head of Yahoo! Sports and as a Yahoo! Sports fantasy player myself, I am disappointed that we failed all of our fans today. Our first priority is having the best experience for our users, and today we fell short.

The outage started around Noon ET (awful timing we know) and while our team was on it immediately we are still working on various pieces. Our team is continuing to work on identifying and resolving the root cause. We have restored full functionality on the website, and we're working for a final fix for our mobile apps. Currently data and scores can be viewed but for now you cannot make transactions or change line-ups from the apps.

We will also use today as an opportunity to improve our set-up so that we hopefully never have an outage like this again. Our fantasy commissioners and players are our biggest priority - we pride ourselves in being able to offer our users with the best fantasy sports experience possible and we take our job to deliver that to you very seriously. Rest assured we will work hard to make sure we continue to deliver on that commitment.

Thanks for playing with us and your patience today,

Ken Fuchs
Head of Yahoo! Sports

Discussion Starters:

• What, if any, impact do you think the outage will have on Yahoo users next season?
• What's your opinion of Fuchs's email? What works well, and what could be improved?