Theory To Real Cases - Keith M. Hearit Crisis Communication Management: Applying

Munoz violated two key Hearit principles. First, he failed to separate the technical violation (did the crew follow rules?) from the moral violation (was the treatment acceptable?). Second, his initial apologia used provocation (blaming Dao), which is only effective when the other party is universally condemned. In this case, the public sided with Dao.

Gross negligence, environmental destruction, and lack of compassion. Munoz violated two key Hearit principles

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. In this case, the public sided with Dao