A Case Study of the Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein, and the #Metoo Movement
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Crisis Communication, Potential Liability, and Activism in the Age of Social Media: A Case Study of The Weinstein Company, Harvey Weinstein, and the #MeToo Movement By Kristen M. Marino Senior Honors Thesis School of Media and Journalism University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill April 6, 2018 Approved: © 2018 Kristen M. Marino ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii Abstract Although crisis communication and crisis management are large, evolving fields of public relations research, the intersection of crisis mitigation and legal concerns is under- explored. This study attempted to fill this gap by conducting a case study of a potentially liable organization and individual in crisis. Specifically, this thesis used a qualitative content analysis to examine The Weinstein Company’s and Harvey Weinstein’s mitigation efforts during the sexual misconduct allegations that surfaced in 2017, as well as the resulting rise of the #MeToo activist movement. In answering the research questions of this study, findings suggested that newer theories, such as the social-mediated crisis communication model, may be more appropriate to understand crises that involve potential liability, many stakeholders, and interacting traditional and social media; pointed to several tangible recommendations for potentially liable entities in crisis; and illustrated important nuances and factors that they should consider when responding. iii Acknowledgements There are simply not enough words for me to ever convey how thankful I am to have you all in my life and throughout this process. Still, I will try, as it is truly the least I can do. First, to my advisor, professor, mentor, and friend, Dr. Joseph M. Cabosky, who has been an irreplaceable part of my life and education. It has been an absolute honor, privilege, and joy to learn from you over the past two years and to write my first thesis under your direction. Thank you for your incredible dedication to and enthusiasm for this project; for always believing in me and having high expectations; for guiding me well while also urging me to think independently; and for inspiring, challenging, and gently pushing me to improve. You saw my potential and held me to it, which made me a stronger thinker, writer, and researcher. I also cannot thank you enough for investing so much in my personal, professional, and academic growth; for giving me a “permanent seat” in your office; and for being a constant, calming, and patient source of encouragement, advice, entertaining chats, and much-needed pep talks. Your open-door policy, passion for teaching, and commitment to go above and beyond for your students greatly inspired my career plans, as they are qualities that I hope to one day emulate. Finally, thank you for teaching me how to love research, ask questions, think critically, find answers, and be confident in my work. I truly could not have asked for a better advisor. Next, to my reader, Dr. Valerie K. Fields, who inspires me and many others with her success, passion, and drive. I am so grateful for the time you spent on this project and for the two classes I took with you; they have been some of the hardest, most rewarding, and most helpful ones I’ve taken. Thank you for teaching me to be more confident; for preparing me well for my career; for caring immensely for your students; and for always challenging us to improve, giving iv us so much “tough love.” Not only have you been one of the best professors I’ve had at UNC, but you’ve also set a strong example to which I aspire. I’d also like to thank my friends for their endless encouragement; for never complaining about how much I talked about this thesis; for offering (occasional) distractions; and for taking a genuine interest in my project, always asking how it was going and actually caring about the answer. This would have been much harder, if not impossible, without you all. I’d like to thank my mom, Dr. Mary T. Marino, who instilled in me a love and value for learning and education. Thank you for reading countless books to me when I’d bring piles of them to bed, for being my first editor and staying up late to help with applications and essays, and for teaching me how to write well and receive feedback (“It’s a good first draft!”). And, thank you for giving me invaluable advice and support, for always encouraging me to pursue my passions, for teaching me to never give up, and for inspiring me to set high goals and to give my all in everything I do. You showed me what it means to be a strong, ambitious, determined, loving, and well-educated woman who wears many hats, and for that I cannot thank you enough. I’d also like to thank my dad, Dr. Michael F. Marino, who has always believed in me. Thank you for showing me what hard work looks like; for offering helpful advice; and for being so supportive of my goals, especially in the past four years. Your willingness to make all of those 600-mile drives made attending UNC and thus, this thesis, infinitely easier. I also want to thank my brothers, Mike and Mark, for being two of my best friends, for inspiring me to excel, for always encouraging me, and for loving me so well. Though I don’t see you often enough, knowing you’re in my corner has been crucial to the success of this project. Last but not least, I’d like to thank God, without whom none of this would be possible. v Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..1 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………….4 Crisis Overview…………………………………………………………………………...4 Conceptualizing Crisis…………………………………………………………….4 Crisis, Reputation, and Relationships……………………………………………..6 Crisis Communication Theory…………………………………………………………….8 Background……………………………………………………………….……….8 Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) ………….…………………...9 Social-Mediated Crisis Communication (SMCC) ………….…………………...11 Apologies Overview……………………………………………………………..14 Types of Apologies………………………………………………………………14 Effectiveness of Apologies………………………………………………………15 Crisis Communication Applied…………………………………………………………..17 Current Trends…………………………………………………………………...17 Legal Considerations…………………………………………………………….19 Public Relations-Legal-Diversionary Typology…………………………………22 Case Examples…………………………………………………………………...23 Current Study………………………………………………………………….................33 Methods…………………………………………………………………......................................34 Use of Case Studies……………………………………………………………………...34 Case Selection: The Weinstein Company……………......................................................35 Qualitative Content Analysis…………….........................................................................37 vi Media Sample……………................................................................................................37 Coding and Analysis Process…………….........................................................................39 Findings…………….....................................................................................................................41 Conflated Narratives……………......................................................................................41 Context, relatability, salience, and agenda setting.............................................................45 Pressure to make an example out of the bad actor.............................................................52 Victims have power...........................................................................................................55 Deflections with extraneous elements...............................................................................61 Inconsistent messaging and internal discord......................................................................70 Discussion......................................................................................................................................78 Research Questions............................................................................................................78 RQ1........................................................................................................................78 RQ2........................................................................................................................80 RQ3........................................................................................................................82 Takeaways..........................................................................................................................84 Don’t make your brand dependent on one person.................................................84 If you can’t control the narrative, consider joining it............................................85 The power of activism...........................................................................................86 Stakeholders’ concerns may not align with those of the bad actor.......................87 Limitations.........................................................................................................................87 Future Research.................................................................................................................88 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................89 References......................................................................................................................................90 vii Introduction On July 19, 2013, the documentary Blackfish premiered. The film – filled with first-hand accounts by former employees and compelling video footage