The Repair Strategies of Chris Brown

By: Alexis Cubit and Kellie Pearson

 

When I first learned of this paper, I wasn’t sure who I would do. Then, I noticed Chris Brown was back in the news for violating his parole. It was almost like a gift from above. He had been in trouble just so I could have someone to do my project on!

 

The more I researched Brown, the more material surfaced, however, my partner and I could only choose one situation. Because the Rihanna incident was more than three years ago, we had to choose a different one. We decided on his incident with Drake because it’s the most recent and had the most dire effects.

The club after the brawl

 

Brown’s injuries after the incident

To recap, Brown and Drake were at the same club, W.i.P, in New York one unfortunate night in June 2012. Brown sent over a bottle to Drake, which apparently didn’t sit well with the singer. As a result, Drake approached Brown’s table and from there, it went downhill. Despite several differing reports on who did it, Brown was struck with a bottle. By the end of the brawl, Brown had a gash in his face and his bodyguard, Pat, had to be rushed to the hospital. Pat later sued Drake and the nightclub.

Pat, Brown’s bodyguard, suffered injuries to his head.

Several others were injured, including San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker. The incident brought about great alarm among pop culture, reminding many of what happened between rappers Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.

Because of Brown’s past experiences, his reputation was further tarnished. In our paper, my partner and I examined other celebrities who had a stain in their reputations, how they handled it, how Brown dealt with the issue and what we think he should have done and what can be done now. We looked at image repair case studies on Hugh Grant, Ricky Gervais, Christian Bale, Michael Phelps and Terrell Owens. The most successful image repair strategies came from Grant, who was arrested for lewd acts with a prostitute in 1995. He previously had a good reputation and was able to restore his good name, using bolstering, mortification, attacking the accuser and denial.

For Brown, however, he began employing the wrong kinds of strategies immediately after the incident. He took to Twitter, insulting Drake and threatening him. Instead of proving a point, it made Brown look even worse.

Tweets from the night of the incident

After examining Brown’s social media, specifically his Twitter, we found the image repair strategies he used were attacking the accuser, denial, evading responsibility, bolster, transcend and corrective action. Some were successful and caused viewers to feel sorry for him, while others didn’t. For example, one of his tweets said, “Nigga done 6 months community service wit police and the DA racist ass crying to the judge that I didn’t do it. FUCK THE SYSTEM!” While it’s clear Brown is hurt and trying to better himself, the way he phrases his opinions and views reinforce the negative attitudes people feel towards him.

Brown is also currently incarcerated for being kicked out of rehab, which is a violation of his parole (he was granted parole and made to serve community service after the 2009 assault on Rihanna). He is scheduled to only serve one month in jail, but could be facing four years after assaulting a man in Washington, D.C.

While we believe Brown is anxious to turn around his negative public perception, it will be a while before he can do that because of his upcoming assault trial. When he finally serves all of his time and finishes with each case, Brown should begin to rethink his social media. His Facebook page is fine, because he (and his reps) use it solely for promotional/music purposes.

His Twitter and Instagram, however, need to be revised. Brown should continue to post inspirational and positive tweets, but should watch his language. It’s normal to express anger, concern and/or hurt about something, but it must be done in a tactful manner. He should also refrain from putting images on Instagram that could potentially depict him in a negative way. Pictures like the one below should be removed from his social media:

Chris Brown Smoking Weed (Three Blunts at Once)

One of the biggest limitations to our study was the fact that at one point, Brown deleted his Twitter and started over. Many of the deleted tweets showed him having Twitter beefs with people like B2K singer Raz-B and comedian Jenny Johnson. His first documented tweet is on May 17, 2013.

In conclusion, we believe Brown should, essentially, start over. He must rebuild up his credibility and gain the trust of the public. William Benoit suggests enhancing one’s prior reputation to help with image repair. Because Brown had a positive image until 2009, he should be able to restore his image after some time.

An image in limbo

By Nikki Vinyard

A young 14-year-old Bieber poses for the camera.

He was first introduced to society as the newest musical sensation – Justin Bieber, a teenage prodigy. Having been discovered on YouTube, Bieber’s career skyrocketed and launched him as one of the most listened to teenage music stars worldwide. The Canadian singer’s career was established as an innocent reflection of talent, but now it seems it has grown into a trivial hindrance to the modern music industry.

Since November 2013, Bieber has been on a downward spiral, tarnishing his reputation and role model status. Though his music career is still on the rise, the feedback he has started to receive from the music industry is negative and even the respect from his “Beliebers” has plummeted.

Bieber has been found egging his neighbor’s house, receiving a DUI in a rented Lamborghini and accused of substance abuse. Not only has he gone off the deep end, but he has become a bad role model for those who once looked up to him. He’s falled quite far from the cute kid we used to know as the music superstar.

Despite the many allegations and court dates, Bieber has failed to comply with the media for an interview, statement and has refrained from posting any sort of remorsement on social media. His image repair tactics are definitely on the absent side of the spectrum.

Social Media Usage

As an avid user of Twitter and Instagram, the newly remodeled Bieber has posted nothing in regards to his DUI scandal or any other allegations that have been made about him in the media. In fact, most of his posts consist of him thanking his “Beliebers” for support.

Additionally, no links or press releases have been added to his official website. The only thing promoted on the “news” section of his website are posts about his new music video “Confident” featuring Chance the Rapper. More importantly, he has not used any sort of mortification via Twitter (which is unusual for a celebrity under fire for publicity issues). Most of his Instagram posts are of himself as well.

Bieber attempts to match the style of the iconic James Dean, 2014.

Justin Bieber has become Hollywood’s biggest bad boy. In a way, the young superstar is starting to follow in the footsteps of stars like Robert Downey, Jr., Brittany Spears and Charlie Sheen. It has become quite apparent that the 19-year-old has no sense of self-control, no guidance and follows no rules. It seems he is trailing towards a path of self-destruction.

Earlier in the year, Bieber was arrested for drunk driving, drag racing and having been under the influence of alcohol as a minor. After taken to jail, the minor was seen in court shortly after to answer for his crime, but has received no repercussions. The following article was released by TMZ about his Miami incident:

Justin Bieber was banned from Miami nightclubs after receiving a DUI, 2014.

After police discovered the whereabouts of Bieber that night, the Miami nightclubs banned Bieber because of his minor age and to release themselves from being liable for a reckless kid. However, after the incident Bieber did not apologize for his actions and his potential endangerment of Miami citizens. If he has used any strategies, minimizing and defeasability are the ones he has chosen to use. On his end, there has been a lack of information or explanation and the only source of information on his incidents has been from the biased media.

Like Brittany Spears and Robert Downey, Jr., Justin Bieber’s best bet may be to fall out of the spotlight for quite awhile and let people rediscover him at a later time.

Armstrong comes clean too late: Was it enough?

by: Lauren Roller

 

Lance Armstrong, known for his huge success in the world of cycling, as the founder of the LIVESTRONG Foundation, for having testicular cancer and for the federal investigations of doping allegations. In June 2012, USADA charged Armstrong with having used illicit performance-enhancing drugs. After he was being investigated for the drug use, Armstrong announced his retirement from competitive cycling. Lance was not apologetic or willing to discuss any of his drug use at first. He admitted his usage to Oprah Winfrey, but on social media, he seemed to want to dodge the whole situation.

Not only did Armstrong lie for months to the public and his fans, he lied to the members of Livestrong foundation, and it took him about three months before he officially apologized to them. Armstrong’s actions and his denial of those actions almost tore the entire Livestrong foundation apart.

Public Relations professionals are responsible for creating communication between the individual (or organization) they represent and the public. When that individual or organization attracts negative publicity it is the public relations practitioners responsibility to “implement a communication strategy designed to salvage the images of their clients”

“Image is defined as the perception of a person (or group, or organization) held by the audience, shaped by the words and actions of that person, as well as by the discourse and behavior of other relevant actors” (Benoit, 1997). The purpose of this report is to study the effectiveness of image repair tactics including: (1) denial of the accusation, (2) evading responsibility of the act, (3) reducing the offensiveness of the accusation, (4) offering corrective actions, and (5) mortification or apologizing, used by famous athletes with scandals similar to that of Lance Armstrong.

RQ1: What image repair strategies did Armstrong use in social media?

RQ2: How effective were his image repair strategies?

RQ3: How can Armstrong’s public reputation survive questions of drug use surrounding his accomplishments?

RQ4: Did Armstrong’s Twitter content transfer to traditional media content?

We looked at the image repair strategies applied by Armstrong through his social media accounts. We analyzed his Twitter stream from February 2001 to September 2013 for tweets relating to Benoit’s five strategies of image repair. During that large time frame there were only 16 tweets that were relevant to his allegations. We looked at those sixteen, which will be pictured below and measured the amounts of favorites and re-tweets, and whether the comments posted were primarily positive or negative. Then we compared his tweets to traditional media coverage of the topic to assess the effectiveness of his social media presentation.

June 13, 2012, Armstrong attacks the US anti-doping association calling their allegations a “witch hunt.” This was his first mention of the scandal on his twitter and at that time it was obvious that his fans were still supportive of him gaining 5,335 re-tweets and 521 favorites. His bullying tactics continued for several weeks however the fan support behind them was dwindling rapidly. Armstrong posted another attack on the US anti-doping association using the hash tag #protectingcleanathletesandpervs which only got 73 favorites and 468 re-tweets.

Finally months later after he had admitted to his guilt, he made no mention on twitter saying he was sorry, however the Livestrong foundation tweeted that Armstrong has stepped down as chairman of the foundation. This got about 1996 re-tweets and unlike most of his previous tweets attracted comments which varied from “good riddance” to “sad to hear.”

If Armstrong had been upfront about his drug use and taken corrective action and just simply said he was sorry he would have been more successful at repairing his image. Fans are generally willing to forgive their favorite celebrities or athletes for their mistakes, if that celebrity is open and honest with them. Since Armstrong took so long to admit to his wrongdoings and never actually apologized, it made any effort he tried to repair his image seem insincere.

Social media is an area barely touched by research, which made this study difficult. Also, Armstrong tweets often at least twice a day but only a few are aimed towards his doping allegation scandal. With traditional media celebrities pass their information through a series of gatekeepers, some who are actually skilled at crisis management and image repair, whereas with social media some celebrities have free reign and their image repair tactics are usually not as effective. Again, there is a lack of scholarly research on this subject. In my opinion it is a worthy area to research, especially if you are in the public eye. Celebrities on social media is a great way for them to communicate with their fans and supporters but one mistake can tarnish their reputation.

What You Know? T.I.’s Image Repair

Clifford Harris (T.I.) isn’t a stranger to the backseat of a police cruiser with at least 30 arrests. Most recently in 2010, he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. In 2007, four hours before rapper T.I. was scheduled to perform at the BET Hip-Hop awards show, T.I. was arrested in a sting on federal weapons charges.

Clifford Harris (T.I.), a convicted felon, couldn’t legally possess a firearm. Facing the possibility of 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines, T.I. had some image repair to do before his sentencing.

T.I. uses Twitter and Facebook for promotions, which presents a positive, business-as-usual image despite legal troubles. Our research will uncover what his image repair tactics are, how they are implemented and how effective they are.

T.I. apparently knew the risks of being a felon in possession of a firearm, but chose to because of threats to his life.

“A million haters want me dead. Forced to carry a gat, but you a seven time felon. What you doin’ with that? It’s a catch twenty-two, either you lose or you lose.” –Live in the Sky (2006)

After his sentencing in March of 2009, T.I. used mortification at a press conference.

“I realize completely that I violated the law, and accept that I must be punished. I take it very seriously” T.I. said.

Very few image repair studies have been done on celebrities, especially hip-hop artists. This is why we compared T.I. crisis to those of professional athletes like Michael Vick, Michael Phelps and Plaxico Burress.

All of these athletes used mortification in unique ways, but didn’t utilize corrective action like T.I. did.

T.I. asked for his sentencing to be postponed for one year, so that he could perform 1,000 hours of community service. He used this time to travel the country, speaking to at-risks youths about his mistakes.

T.I.’s Road to Redemption: 45 Days to Go was a show on MTV that chronicled Tip’s last 45 days before his imprisonment. The show featured the rapper sharing his experiences with young people, and provided an insider’s perspective into T.I.’s personal life.

Through the use of mortification and corrective action, T.I. managed to only spend a year and a day in the federal penitentiary for charges that normally would have you put away for a decade.

Baltimore Ravens Image Repair

Written by: Natalie Tollett with contributions by Kate Martinez and Parmida Schahhosseini

Abstract:

The Ravens have had a decent image since the Ray Lewis murder charge in 2000 without many high profile arrests. Crime was at a low point during the first six off-seasons under Head Coach John Harbaugh.

 

On February 15, 2014, Ray Rice was arrested for a physical altercation with his wife (then fiancé). This was shocking since he has been a proponent on anti-bullying platforms. He has spoken at many events and schools to raise awareness against acts of bullying. Ray Rice’s arrest was detrimental to the Raven’s image.

Our paper focuses on the strategies and tactics used by the Baltimore Ravens organization to repair its image and maintain its image as a community leader.

 

Introduction:

During the 2014 offseason, the Baltimore Ravens had 3 players arrested in a 22-day span after coming off its worse season in 6 years with an 8-8 record and missing the playoffs for the first time.

• Ray Rice was arrested for his altercation with then-fiancé.
• Wide Receiver Deonte Thompson was arrested on charge of marijuana and drug possession
• Wide Receiver Jah Reid was charged with misdemeanor battery

Ravens generally have a clean image so this presented a problem. They have had only 12 arrests from 2000-2009 since the Ray Lewis case. Ray Lewis remains the most talked about case and continues to add a negative stigma to the organization. After the murder allegation, Lewis cleaned his image, and, in turn, slowly helped the Ravens clean their image as well.

• Lewis was a playmaker, making him one of the best middle line-backers in the history of the NFL
• Lewis became a Christian and often references God and Bible verses in his speeches.
• He cleaned his image, and, in turn became a media favorite.
• Lewis announced his retirement in 2013 and his team rallied around him for one last victory- the Super Bowl.

Although Reid and Thompson’s arrests hurt the Raven image, Rice’s was the worst since he is a ‘bigger name’ and his arrest was worse: he was indicted on third-degree aggravated assault charge by a grand jury on March 24 and the next day married his fiancé- Palmer.

The image repair used for Ray Lewis’ case is similar to the damage control the Ravens use now. Incudes:

• All players have suspended social media accounts.
• Ray Rice shut down his Facebook, but kept his Twitter and Instagram accounts active. 

High profile athletes get into trouble often including household names like the O.J. Simpson case, the Jason Kidd assault and DWI, and Kobe Bryant’s rape charge. Since the Baltimore Ravens is an organization, this study will review NFL cases and focuses on strategies and tactics used to maintain its image.

Based on our research, there are gaps regarding social media for image repair. Many of the cases that we research happened prior to social media’s popularity, resulting in a lack of information regarding the role of social media in the judicial process. These arrests have taken place when social media is at its peak, so we will evaluate the Baltimore Ravens’ content strategy.

 

Literary Analysis:

Case Study No. 1: Jason Kidd

• Assaulted his wife (punched her in the mouth)
• Arrested four games, then voluntarily went into counseling
• Drafted an apology letter to Suns ticket holders
• Wasn’t punished by NBA, got traded to New Jersey Nets where he became a “star” player
• Had previous run-ins with the law
• Broke the law, admitted his mistake, completed his punishment and acknowledged that he has a problem
• His image wasn’t hurt

Case Study No. 2: Kobe Bryant 

• Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was accused of rape in July 2003
• Made an apology, but wasn’t read by him (lawyer read it) – received back lash
• Charges were dropped in 2004 after he apologized
• Play on the court improved, so people “forgot” about it

Case Study No. 3: Michael Vick

• Federal dog-fighting conviction in 2007
• When Vick pled guilty to federal charges, he issued an apology at a press conference
• Vick employed mortification, then corrective action, followed by more mortification
• Vick apologized to the various NFL personnel and to the young fans he had let down
• Vick sought Jesus’ help in turning his life around
• Vick reiterated his acceptance of full responsibility and stated his willingness to pay the consequences of his actions

Case Study No. 4: Terrell Owens

• Conflict with the Philadelphia Eagles (“public war with the organization”)
• Used mortification and bolstering strategies, he hurt his case by sidestepping the blame for the conflict
• Bolstering: Owens attempted to shed the image of a self-centered, difficult athlete by reminding his fans his productivity on the field, says his his actions are stemmed from his passion
• Mortification: Owens apologized directly to his fans, teammates, coach, quarterback, team president, and CEO (this was his second statement)
• Owens used vague language to avoid blame; he situated responsibility outside himself rather than acknowledging his fault
• No corrective action

Case Study No. 5: Michael Phelps

• A picture of Phelps allegedly smoking from a marijuana pipe appeared in a British tabloid
• Phelps firestorm started in the midst of Super Bowl Sunday
• Some dismissed the severity of Phelps’ scenario due to his age and marijuana use as a serious offense
• Phelps sent out apologetic statement the day photo appeared
• Phelps utilizes mortification by acknowledging that he “engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment”
• He also said he acted inappropriately
• Phelps utilized corrective action by promising that an incident like this will not happen again
• Brought up 2004 DUI incident with Baltimore Sun interview – since he didn’t “avoid” the issue, he became more favorable in the public eye
• Bolstering strategy when reacting to USA Swimming’s decision to suspend him – he said it was fair 

Research Questions:

1. What image repair tactics did the Ravens use?
2. How did Ray Rice and other players conduct themselves during this time? (Arrests, behavior, personal image repair attempts)
3. Were their tactics successful?
4. How did the fans and the general public react to the strategies and tactics?

 

Research Methods:

In order to gather information on Ray Rice’s situation and the Baltimore Ravens, we followed social media and other sources carefully:

• Followed Ravens’ Facebook pages and Twitter accounts
• NFL.com and people’s reactions in the comments section
• The Balitimore Sun
• Baltimore Ravens’ website
• ESPN and other sports websites to track audience reaction throughout time

We actively pursued real-time communication to see if and how people’s reactions had changed.

Paralleled findings in the media with literary scholarly articles and case studies found through extensive research.

All of the methods above led us to our conclusion about the Ravens and their players impact on public opinion. All of the players are attempting to stay out of the spotlight individually and are no longer active on social media. Rice shut down his Facebook account, but still has his Instagram and Twitter accounts despite not using them. The Ravens continue to build a positive image and try to steer away from any negativity. They realize that it will take time to rebuild a positive image by taking a careful and slow approach.

 

Findings and Discussion:

Ravens’ Image

• Ravens are focusing their attention to on-the-field issues by limiting off-the-field discussions with the exception of community work.

• Rice is also focusing on his on-the-field issues even though his off-the-field image will take time to repair.
  • Rice gained weight and wasn’t in the best shape last season.
  • He also had a hip injury that prevented him from playing well causing his agility and ability to cut through blocks to decrease dramatically.
  • He is dedicated to his work and got back into shape, even attending voluntary workouts.
  • Ravens’ release an article quoting Strength and Conditioning Coach Bob Rogicki: “He looks good right now. Whatever he did from the end of the season until now, he’s in a good position right now.”

• Ravens focusing on charity of other players:
• Wide receiver Torrey Smith’s charity basketball game
• Cornerback Ladarius Webb’s charity softball game, featuring an appearance by former free safety Ed Reed
• Other players have been active in the community, such as participating in community restoration efforts.
• Ravens are attempting to build a positive image through these events. Audience member and the general public have responded in a positive way toward the organization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ray Rice’s Image:

• Responses to Ray Rice are mixed
  • Some people want to see how the legal process plays out before they judge
    • Since Rice is a big player, many are willing to stick by him and will continue to support his efforts.
    • His track record also warrants a second chance to these supportive audience members.
  • Others have a zero tolerance policy
    • These want him replaced because they believe there isn’t any room for violence, despite it being his first offense against the law.
    • These critics also say that the video evidence is enough to warrant their anger.
    • Many of these are parents with children who potentially look up to Rice putting them in a difficult situation since they have to explain his fault to their children.

The Ravens organization keeps its image in tact by:

• Strong and effective social media use
• A strong presence in the community
• Focusing on other players benefiting the community
• Adding viable weapon of offense: building up hype for the upcoming season

 

 

 

 

Conclusion:

The Baltimore Ravens realize that image repair is a slow process and it must be done cautiously. Rice continues to face backlash.

Social Media importance:

• Gives people a means to voice opinion and voice concerns
  • This hasn’t helped Rice’s case.
• Majority has a strong input on public opinion.
• People are more aware of the situation than before social media because of continuous access to the information.

Ravens image is continuing to repair its image due to the latest talent acquisition during free-agency and the charitable efforts of the organization.

According to the team’s social media account- people have forgiven the organization.

The blame is now shifted to the individual player.

Recurring trend in the NFL:

• Ability to repair off-the field image with strong play on the field.
• The image of being a “great player” has overshadowed any negative perception toward prior NFL players as long as they dominate at their respective position (and winning championships doesn’t hurt).

 

Amanda Bynes’ Transformation Before Our Eyes

Amanda Bynes: Image Repair

Amanda Bynes Growing up in Hollywood can be difficult for child actors. Bynes has been seen in the public eye since 1996. She nationally known for her starring role in All That and then hosting her own sketch comedy, The Amanda Show.

Bynes was already showing many signs of tiring teen fare, her first big move was that she left Nickelodeon. Bynes made her film debut in a moderate box office success, Big Fat Liar. She also landed a lead role on the WB’s hit show, What I Like About You. Continuing on to start in What a Girl Wants, She’s the Man, Sydney White and the musical Hairspray. With these moves, she was presenting herself in a more mature light. She was the girl teenage girls wanted to be and the girl that teenage boys coveted.

While researching Bynes for our study on image repair, Ashton and I looked at her Twitter accounts. She has two secret Twitter accounts and one official account. Statistics about the Twitter accounts is displayed below.

Phase 1: She seemed to be herself before her apparent crisis. She would tweet about things normal young women would have on their mind such as marriage, friends and her ambition.

She possibly showed signs of issues by having a secret Twitter that was rarely used. “Barbie”, @persiannyc27, was an account that had many cryptic tweets that correlated with Bynes’ official Twitter, she would even retweet Barbie.

She went from an innocent Nickelodeon star to spiraling out of control in the blink of an eye.

Phase 2: When she announced her retirement in 2010, and the unretired shortly after, this was the first appearance of her downward spiral. She didn’t seem happy with her career in Hollywood.

In 2013, she took to Twitter to express inappropriate thoughts, calling peers ugly and acting out of the ordinary. Her tweets made national headlines and even transmitted to the print media.

She also displayed how alone she was by sharing the post below.

Phase 3: She has relatively kept calm since leaving rehab. She tweets seldomly, which we believe hurts her image. We believe she needs to tweet more to her fans to let them know how she is doing verses keeping quiet. Her official site is even under construction, she needs to get this up and running in order to help repair her image.

While doing extensive research of Bynes’ tactics and exploring her secret Twitter, we found that her secret Twitter, with the alias of “Ashley.” Ashley, @persianLa27, will even tweet picture of Bynes or picture that appear on Bynes’ official social media.

After doing extensive research, we used Benoit’s image repair theory and examined what tactics Bynes’ used, as seen in the graph below.Will Bynes ever go back to being the girl we remember? Or will she forever be a Hollywod wreck?

The Raving Baltimore Ravens

by Natalie Tollett

The Ravens have had a decent image since the Ray Lewis murder charge in 2000 without many high profile arrests.

On February 15, 2014, Ray Rice was arrested for a physical altercation with his wife (then fiancé). This was shocking since he has been a proponent on anti-bullying platforms. He has spoken at many events and schools to raise awareness against acts of bullying. Ray Rice’s arrest was detrimental to the Raven’s image.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGs64Peu2S0

Our research focuses on the strategies and tactics used by the Baltimore Ravens organization to repair its image and maintain its image as a community leader.

Ravens generally have a clean image so this presented a problem. They have had only 12 arrests from 2000-2009 since the Ray Lewis case. Ray Lewis remains the most talked about case and continues to add a negative stigma to the organization. After the murder allegation, Lewis cleaned his image, and, in turn, slowly helped the Ravens clean their image as well.

Although Reid and Thompson’s arrests hurt the Raven image, Rice’s was the worst since he is a ‘bigger name’ and his arrest was worse: he was indicted on third-degree aggravated assault charge by a grand jury on March 24 and the next day married his fiancé- Palmer.

Based on our research, there are gaps regarding social media for image repair. Many of the cases that we research happened prior to social media’s popularity, resulting in a lack of information regarding the role of social media in the judicial process. These arrests have taken place when social media is at its peak, so we will evaluate the Baltimore Ravens’ content strategy.

We actively pursue real-time communication to see if and how people’s reactions had changed.

We parallel findings in the media with literary scholarly articles and case studies found through extensive research.

All of the methods above led us to our conclusion about the Ravens and their players impact on public opinion. All of the players are attempting to stay out of the spotlight individually and are no longer active on social media. Rice shut down his Facebook account, but still has his Instagram and Twitter accounts despite not using them. The Ravens continue to build a positive image and try to steer away from any negativity. They realize that it will take time to rebuild a positive image by taking a careful and slow approach.

Image Repair Tactics: Justin Bieber

Nikki and I have worked hard to ensure that our Image Repair Plan for Justin Bieber has included some of the most up-to-date information, comparable case studies and valuable commentary. The following content is a synthesized overview of our findings.

 ABSTRACT

            Justin Bieber has taken society by surprise by drastically transforming from a baby-faced teen to a tattooed bad boy receiving too much attention from law enforcement officials. Media outlets have been eating up Bieber’s most recent run-ins with the law and his complete disregard for social obedience has ignited a major public relations problem. From prostitutes, DUIs, drag races and promoted violence, he’s one of the tabloids’ hottest celebrities. Bieber has refrained from using mortification, and has embraced two major image repair strategies (denial, reduced offensiveness), as well as a minor image repair strategy (minimizing). We view his strategies as ineffective, due to the possibility that it may provoke issues for future career endeavors.

INTRODUCTION

• Bieber was arrested in Miami on Jan. 23, 2014 for drunk driving, resisting arrest and operating a vehicle without a valid license (Duke, 2014). 

  

• Shortly after the arrest, a petition with more than 100,000 signatures was filed with the United States White House to have Bieber deported back to Canada.

• Other actions that haven’t been addressed by Bieber include: paying for a Brazilian prostitute, egging a neighbor’s home and using illegal drugs.

• Usher is one of the many celebrities who support Bieber through a struggle he says is due to a premature exposure to stardom.

  

• In all, Bieber shows little to no mortification, performs simple denial and minimizes his actions.

• Young celebrities such as Britney Spears, Robert Downey, Jr., Charlie Sheen, Chris Brown and Demi Lovato have struggled with the negativity that follows a life in the spotlight. Their case studies and response to various crisis issues will be addressed later in this paper.

LITERATURE REVIEW 

            Previous image repair studies indicate that celebrities like Britney Spears, Robert Downey, Jr., Charlie Sheen, Chris Brown and Demi Lovato have similarly struggled with maintaining a positive public image. The following cases discuss the situations that caused these young celebrities to pivot into a downward spiral, later calling for numerous image repair tactics.

• Britney Spears was one of the most famous pop stars of the 1990s, and she served as a female role model for young girls across the world. It wasn’t until the 2000s that Spears was caught participating in odd behavior. She kissed Madonna at the VMAs, was seen driving with a toddler in her lap, was photographed without underwear and, most famously, shaving her head (Walker, 2013; Singer, 2007). In response to negative press, Spears removed herself from the limelight and started to focus on the re-growth of her career. Her distance from the media proved to be successful.

• Robert Downey, Jr. was known for his crazy antics and bad boy persona in Hollywood. He was often in and out of prison for drug abuse, alcoholism and violating probation. Downey, Jr. cleaned up his act and landed some of his most successful roles in Hollywood after meeting his current wife, admitting himself to a rehab facility and focusing on his career (Scott, 2013). Although he never formally apologized for his actions, his image repair tactics benefited his career.

• Charlie Sheen broke into fame as a teenager, and he quickly began abusing drugs, having angry outbursts and verbally attacking other celebrities (Pilkington, 2011). As a middle-aged adult, Sheen still struggles with these issues but continues his successful career by apologizing after each crazy antic. Like Downey, Jr. and Spears, his tactics have proved successful.

• Chris Brown used to be known as a young, fresh-faced rapper in the highlight of his career until he physically abused his girlfriend, Rihanna, in February 2009. He temporarily laid low and allowed his family to address the issues that resulted in his arrest (Gorgan, 2009). Brown later apologized to the public, but continued to deny any involvement with the attack. Shortly after his rejection of fault, he began pleading with his fans for continued support, verbally attacking Rihanna on social media accounts, having public outbursts and using vile pickup lines on women that referred to the domestic abuse allegations (Gorgan, 2009; The Week Staff, 2012).

• Demi Lovato admitted herself to a rehab facility for physical and emotional distress after attacking a dancer on tour, and suffering from an eating disorder and continuous cutting. After her release, she apologized for her actions, spoke about her setbacks and triumphs with large celebrity publications, was featured on major talk shows, and now serves as an advocate against self-harm and eating disorders (Bartolomeo, 2010; Daily Mail Reporter, 2011; CNN, 2011).

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• Is Bieber utilizing image repair tactics? If any, which ones?
• How is Bieber addressing recent issues on his social media accounts?
• Do his outside relationships support or disintegrate his much-needed image?
• Are positive outreach tactics being used by family/friends in close contact with Bieber?

METHODS

Online celebrity publications, magazines and social media accounts were utilized to find the most up-to-date information on Justin Bieber from November 2013 to present day. We analyzed Bieber’s Twitter account, where he primarily posts in support of friends’ entrepreneurial efforts, world causes and personal achievements. We then viewed Bieber’s Instagram (photos and captions) to determine whether the star’s posts support or refute publicized allegations.

FINDINGS & DISCUSSIONS

Justin Bieber

• While staying silent in his times of crisis, Bieber has managed to completely disregard his actions despite the high level of media coverage.
• The young superstar has refrained from following up with any mortification and is using defeasibility as his main image repair tactic.

• Bieber uses his website for self-promotion (“Official”, 2013). 

  

• He uses social media outlets for self-promotion, thanking his “Beliebers,” encouraging service to global organizations and sending traffic to other entrepreneurs.  

   

  

• Bieber’s Instagram not only consists of a variety of bad boy selfies, and images that may negatively impact his personal image. He is seen smoking and spending time with other celebrities known for their run-ins with the law. 

• His Twitter has also included a few posts in his defense.
• Recently, he’s been barred from clubs in Miami and has been said to abuse drugs.

 Takeaway from Related Celebrities

• Like Britney Spears, Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Brown, the young celebrity can benefit from stepping out of the limelight and focusing on his career. This prevents the possibility of receiving negative press.
• Bieber can take from Charlie Sheen’s use of mortification. This tactic can give audiences an understanding of the underlying issues that are causing his actions, and can possibly increase fan support.
• If Bieber addresses his issues effectively, he can stand as a role model for young teens against drug abuse and/or misconduct, like Demi Lovato.

 LIMITATIONS

• Ongoing events and lack of information from Bieber
• Bieber’s use of only two social media accounts (Twitter and Instagram)

 CONCLUSIONS

Justin Bieber’s is minimizing issues and using degradability to keep his reputation afloat. Unfortunately for Bieber, these tactics may not benefit him in his future endeavors.

The Miseducation of Miley Cyrus

Nobody stays a innocent Disney female starlet forever. At the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Miley decided to violently break that mold. She twerked, she dirty danced with Robin Thicke, and she violated a foam finger.

Only watch it if you dare.

This isn’t Miley’s first run-in with salacious sexuality. However, her performance at the VMAs feels far more intentionally scandalous than her Vanity Fair photoshoot.

Subtle

Not so subtle

It would seem Miley is going for an image makeover here. Research on image makeovers have been done, but none of that literature involves looking at how a makeover influences image repair. These studies also don’t include social media. With this in mind, this study asks three key questions:

• What image repair tactics does Cyrus present on social media (in this case, Instagram and Twitter)?
• What image repair tactics does Cyrus use in traditional media, and how similar are those tactics compared to her social media?
• Which image repair tactics function as part of her image makeover?
• How have fans responded to this makeover?

To start, I pulled seven tweets from the time period before December 12, 2013. This part of Cyrus’ Twitter feed isn’t accessible unless a news media outlet posted the tweet in an article. To pull Tweets from the period after December 12, 2013, I pulled 60 tweets from December 2013 until present. For Instagram, I pulled posts from a few days before the incident to the present. I picked every fifth post from each feed in order to get a general sample of her posts.

 

Data is still being evaluated, but these are the conclusions so far:

• More than half of her posts employ the bolstering tactic, where she positions herself as either above the intelligence of other, or as a dynamic crusader for progressive ideas. The other tweets reflect silence as she discusses her tour and other ideas that don’t matter much to the case
• In traditional media, Miley focuses almost exclusively on social issues. She claims that her performance promotes feminism and progressivism. This lines up with her posts where she discusses social issues, although the social issues don’t always line up
• Overall, her response tactics are all part of her image makeover because they all reinforce her new image. We can conclude from this that those who use controversy to further a new image should use bolstering tactics to do so
• However, these tactics come at a price. Most comments seem to react negatively to Miley’s thoughts

 

Paula Deen Image Repair Overview – Kaitlyn Rollins

PAULA DEEN IMAGE REPAIR REPORT – OVERVIEW

Paula Deen: How One Word Ruined Her Reputation

Abstract

Paula Deen has been under close scrutiny by the media and the public since last summer, when a lawsuit and information broke about her using racial slurs in the past. Since then, she has spent nearly a year trying to return to her previous image as a lovable Southern chef, but the media especially has made it more difficult of a return than she expected.

Introduction

Growing up 50 years ago, segregation was not out of the ordinary. Society has come a long way since then, but for those who grew up during this time, it’s not so easy to forget the past. That inability to forget has now ruined the reputation of celebrity chef Paula Deen, who was accused last summer of using racial comments while working at Deen’s Lady and Sons and Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House eateries in Savannah, Georgia. Despite her denial of the allegations, she did admit to using the “N word” when she was younger and was promptly fired from her position on The Food Network.

Literature Review

There are a similar cases of celebrities that have been known for making racial comments. Here are a few examples:

• Mel Gibson – While going through a custody battle with his girlfriend at the time, Oksana Grigorieva, Gibson was caught on tape using the ‘n’ word back in 2010. Gibson is also known for attacking the Jewish religion.
• Michael Richards – While performing at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood, Richards used racial slurs as well as the ‘n’ word to African American hecklers.
• Paris Hilton – Hilton was quoted in Neil Stauss’s book, Everyone Love You When Your Dead stating, “I can’t stand black guys. I would never touch one. It’s gross.”
• Big Brother –  During the 2013 summer season of hit reality show Big Brother, several displays of racism occurred. GinaMarie Zimmerman used the n-word among other racial slurs about the other guests in the house.  Despite the controversy CBS has already renewed their contract for next season.
• Don Imus – This radio announcer used the racial slur “nappy-headed hoes” when referring to a women’s college basketball team on his radio talk show.

Methods

This study was executed by observing the following:

• every Tweet Deen has issued between June 1, 2013 to the present, choosing certain Tweets to screenshot that are relevant to her image repair
• all Facebook posts Deen has posted since June 1, 2013, also choosing certain posts to screenshot that are relevant,
• the apology videos Deen recorded in June and July of 2013 in reference to the racial slurs
•  news videos and articles relating to the incident to determine the media/public’s view of Deen’s situation

Research Questions

•  What image repair strategies did Paula Deen use on Facebook and Twitter?
•  How did the general public react to Deen’s image repair strategies?
•  How has Deen’s image improved or gotten worse since the initial media outbreak?
• What steps could Deen have taken to better improve her image?

Findings and Discussion

• Mortification: Paula’s first response to the accusations was to tell the truth. She immediately apologized, several times through different news outlets (see an article about the apology here).

• Aside from these and posts asking for prayers, she never directly mentioned the situation again and seems to be attempting to have it forgotten by moving on. On both Facebook and Twitter, she makes posts and tweets nearly every day offering different recipes.

• Bolstering: Pictures of her family and pets make the general public feel more connected to her, and she also has multiple posts and tweets thanking her fans for their kind words, prayers, comments and ideas. Firstly, it once again portrays her as a humble, grateful and kind “friend” to the viewer; secondly, it subconsciously makes the viewer aware of the fact that there are people supporting her, which is going to influence his or her view on the entire situation.

Limitations

The greatest limitations in this project were finding scholarly articles, both about Deen’s situation and about other cases similar to hers. Because image repair for celebrities is a fairly unexplored topic within the academic field, it was difficult to find anything relating to it.

Conclusions

Paula Deen has had a rough year attempting to repair her image to the point that it once was. Aside from stumbling through a few video apologies, she has tried to get the general public to move past her history by focusing on what she was known and loved for in the first place: food. By posting and tweeting with a Southern drawl and plenty of affectionate terms, she attempts to remind people who she is now, not who she was 30 years ago. While this is somewhat effective enough to allow her to still have a hefty following of fans, there is still much more she could do to try and fix her perception to the general public.