Keith M. Hearit Crisis Communication Management: Applying Theory To Real Cases ((new)) → 〈Certified〉

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.

Introduction: The Necessary Marriage of Theory and Practice In the high-stakes arena of crisis communication, the gap between academic theory and operational reality is often where reputations go to die. While many consultants offer checklists and many scholars offer abstract models, Keith M. Hearit stands out as a critical voice who insists that theory must be tested against the messy, emotional, and irrational nature of real crises.

Inhumane treatment, racism (Dao was Asian American), and corporate greed. Hearit, a professor of communication at Western Michigan

The implied accusation was that Johnson & Johnson prioritized profits over safety.

The crisis defined Exxon as a villain for a generation. The company paid billions in cleanup and fines, but the reputational wound never fully healed. Hearit uses this case to teach a crucial lesson: When the accusation is about values, a legalistic defense is the worst possible response. Case Study 3: United Airlines’ “Dragging” Incident (2017) – The Social Media Apocalypse The Crisis: Dr. David Dao was violently dragged off a United Express flight to make room for crew members. Video of the bloodied, incoherent passenger went viral. The response, according to Hearit, must be rooted

This article explores Hearit’s foundational theories—specifically the "rhetorical stance" of apologia, the typology of crisis responses, and the concept of "corporate apologies"—and applies them to real-world cases, from the infamous to the instructional. The Rhetoric of Apologia Before Hearit, crisis communication was often dominated by situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), which focused on attributions of responsibility. Hearit shifted the lens toward rhetorical theory . He posits that a crisis is fundamentally a genre of rhetorical discourse. When an organization faces an accusation, it enters a public argument where the stakes are legitimacy and survival.

Initially, United CEO Oscar Munoz engaged in provocation and victim-blaming —calling Dao “disruptive and belligerent” and defending the airline’s “established procedures.” When public fury exploded, Munoz issued a second statement that Hearit would call a hollow apology : “I apologize for having to ‘re-accommodate’ these customers.” The euphemism “re-accommodate” became a meme of corporate tone-deafness. Hearit stands out as a critical voice who

Johnson & Johnson, led by CEO James Burke, enacted a strategy Hearit would categorize as mortification combined with corrective action . They immediately recalled 31 million bottles ($100 million cost), halted advertising, introduced tamper-resistant packaging, and communicated transparently through the media.