Public relations faces dilemma

On the 13^th of August during a concert at the Indiana state fair, a tragic accident occurred when a stage collapse was resulting in seven casualties and more than 58 fans sustaining injuries. As a result, the band Sugarland is now defending itself via court attorneys against claims of negligence. (http://blog.matternow.com/2012/02/)

The band is pointing fingers on the victims and claims that they are not guilty or at fault this statement was provided by the attorneys. Nobody consulted the public relations practitioners on the tragedy so that damage control can be done.

Public relations practitioners could have made sure that a media conference occurred to avoid the negative rumors that are spreading about the negligence of the public relations practitioners, I mean public relations practitioners are there for a good reason which is to speak on behalf of the company which is the band and to make sure that the fans are happy under any circumstances. The band should never lie about the incident because the more they lie the case becomes more serious and shocking. The media has the story published on the headlines and I must add that the public relations team would have done a better job in controlling the dilemma but only they know how they plan to control this issue.

Immediately following the tragic event, Sugarland expressed sympathy for the victims and their families involved and has continued to do so throughout the legal filing. The rule of crisis management is not to blame the victims. Unfortunately, Sugarland and their legal team are now caught up in a blame game which will most likely end up in a jury trial. (http://blog.matternow.com/2012/02/)

Heather Yaxley, blogger for the Green Banana said “But I’m beginning to believe the majority of modern practitioners view PR as a non-intellectual trade, where craft skills count most, along with a friendly personality and a preference to spend time churning out releases and Tweets rather than thinking about anything more important they should be doing.”(http://jmc417.personal.asu.edu/wordpress/)