ABSTRACT
Discussion A spokesperson for a ski resort, The Summit at Snoqualmie, near Seattle, issued a statement to the news media after a 29-year-old man died on its slopes in late 2005. The statement said the man was on his own when he ventured into a closed area where he was later found. This led the news media to conclude that he had broken rules. Later, the resort learned that he was part of a team that was invited by two experienced ski patrollers. Later, the resort, though not responsible for the death, purchased an ad in the Seattle Times (6/19/06) with the headline, “The Summit at Snoqualmie acknowledges that David W. Pettigrew’s tragic snowboarding accident did not result from David breaking any rules.” The first of 12 paragraphs read, “On December 7, 2005, 29-year-old David W. Pettigrew died in a tragic accident at Alpental Ski Area at the Summit at Snoqualmie. Directly following his death, statements to the press by the ski resort said David was on his own when he ventured into a closed area where he was later found. These initial statements by the ski resort were not accurate and were incomplete. They led the news media to the mistaken conclusion that David was responsible for his own death by skiing alone in a roped-off area.” Following was a quote, an apology from the general manager who said, “We later learned the details, but unfortunately, we weren’t pro-active. We didn’t go back and try to get the details out that would clear David’s reputation.” And “…We are very sorry, and we want to set the record straight… “ The half-page story then described how the tragedy occurred in some detail, how Davis’s family and friends felt the news coverage tarnished his memory, and ended with about five paragraphs describing what a wonderful person David was. A photo of David was at the top of the ad.
