Cuomo used language that people forced to apologize often deploy to avoid taking responsibility and show genuine contrition. An expert on public apologies suggests three don'ts and a do.
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Articles on Public apology
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US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia may have expressed regrets over controversial comments and social media postings. But not to the public, and not in a way that would mitigate harm.
The Canadian prime minister is the latest public figure struggling to apologize for past misbehavior. A language scholar explains how to do it right.
Organizations try to hide mistakes and evade responsibility, studies show. But two scholars analyzing militant and terrorist groups say they are willing to acknowledge their mistakes – sometimes.
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.
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.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of English Language Studies, The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Middlebury
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Benjamin Waite Professor of the English Language, Wesleyan University
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Associate Professor of Government, Wesleyan University
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Professor of Linguistics, Southern Oregon University
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Lecturer Politics and International Relations, Queen's University Belfast
