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Did the NFL's senior management have a duty to inform the public about different incidents of NFL players charged with domestic violence?
The NFL’s senior management had a duty to discipline
the players charged with domestic violence, and to inform the public about these incidents. However, the general public has had access to information about several--if not all--of these cases, and the NFL has disciplined the players involved, though the severity of the punishments is debatable. Though it may not have been the NFL's duty, per se, it would have been socially responsible to publicly condemn domestic abuse, especially given the organization's size, scope, and influence.
How can the NFL apply the RACE method to address
stakeholders across different social media outlets?
Based on the given scenario, I would first search the web and social media
to gauge public perception of domestic violence in the NFL. It would also be important to research the
history of domestic violence in the NFL, including what kinds of disciplinary
action have been taken in the past, how well the League adheres to its policy on
domestic abuse, and how the general public has learned about and responded to
similar cases in the past. Further, I would analyze current political and cultural
trends to gauge their potential effect on public perception in light of recent
events. Researching past PR efforts surrounding similar issues—outside of the
NFL if necessary—might also be beneficial. The next step would be to develop an
action plan based on my findings. The plan would be designed to communicate the NFL’s message
to all of its publics through traditional and social media.
Ultimately, the NFL’s communications would be open and transparent about its
approach to domestic violence. This would involve taking responsibility for the
League’s shortcomings, condemning misconduct, and describing the actions it
will take to prevent domestic violence within and outside the NFL. The NFL will also need to continue to keep the
public informed about its actions to discipline players charged with domestic
violence, and to discourage future offenses.
The final step would be to evaluate the actions taken, including their effects
on the NFL’s publics and their perceptions of the organization (Turney,
2011). This would lead to continued research to begin the process again with
new information and insight.
References:
Pennington, B., & Eder, S. (2014, September 19).
In Domestic Violence Cases, N.F.L. Has a History of Lenience - NYTimes.com.
Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/sports/football/in-domestic-violence-cases-nfl-has-a-history-of-lenience.html?_r=0&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Pro%20Football&action=keypress®ion=FixedLeft&pgtype=article
Turney, Michael (2011). Acronyms for the public
relations process. Retrieved: September 22, 2014. http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/readings/process_acronyms.html
