Trying to figure out if Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam or other would-be penitents are sincere? A scholar who analyzed dozens of recent apologies offers a user’s guide.
Les Moonves walked away from CBS after being accused of sexual assault.
Reuters/Brendan McDermid
Moonves, accused by 12 women of sexual harassment and assault, managed to walk away with a face-saving exit package that may even include some of his $182 million severance.
What does it mean when public figures say sorry?
AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Public apologies are a type of performance before a larger audience, and they are to be understood in terms that are different from a private apology.
Director Bernardo Bertolucci, left, discusses a scene from “Last Tango in Paris” with leading actor Marlon Brando and actress Maria Schneider.
AP Photo