ABSTRACT

Although apologiae and apologies are ritualized vehicles for restoring social relations, such restoration does not occur in a social vacuum in which it is self-evident to apologists how to “do the right thing,” such as in the attempt to offer compensatory damages described in the chapter-opening epigraph (Hearit, 2001; Rothenbuhler, 1998). Indeed, the contemporary social and media environment is such that said apologists face a contested landscape in which they must cope with real and tangible costs if they negotiate the apologetic exchange incorrectly. One small misstatement can be a major detriment to an organization, not just in that it may damage a carefully crafted image, but it also may result in a negative legal judgment.