Keith M. Hearit Crisis Communication Management: Applying Theory To Real Cases !!link!! Direct

Hearit, a professor of communication at Western Michigan University and author of Crisis Management by Apology: Corporate Response to Allegations of Wrongdoing , argues that effective crisis management is not merely about controlling information—it is about managing . At its core, every crisis is a narrative battle. An organization is accused of malfeasance, negligence, or hypocrisy. The response, according to Hearit, must be rooted in robust rhetorical theory, primarily the theory of apologia, and then deployed with surgical precision.

Munoz violated two key Hearit principles. First, he failed to separate the technical violation (did the crew follow rules?) from the moral violation (was the treatment acceptable?). Second, his initial apologia used provocation (blaming Dao), which is only effective when the other party is universally condemned. In this case, the public sided with Dao. Hearit, a professor of communication at Western Michigan

The organizations that survive are not necessarily the wealthiest or most powerful. They are the ones that understand the grammar of accusation and apology. They know when to fight (denial, provocation) and when to yield (mortification). They know that a crisis is not a problem to be solved but a narrative to be navigated. The response, according to Hearit, must be rooted