Business Insider Ranks Sandusky Scandal the Biggest PR Disaster of 2012
Despite the breaking news of the Sandusky scandal occuring in 2011, Business Insider has ranked the Penn State administration’s cover up as the biggest Public Relations fail of 2012.
On a list that mentions Apple Maps, American Apparel, and four of the most popular fast food chains in America, reporter Laura Stampler gives several reasons as to why the scandal ranks the highest.
First, she mentions the release of the Freeh Report over the summer which claimed Joe Paterno and the Penn State administration participated in concealing information regarding the multiple acts of child abuse by Jerry Sandusky. This led to the pulling of university sponsers like State Farm.
With the Freeh investigation, as well as the hiring of PR firms like Edelman and La Torre Communications, the total amount spent on internal investigation and crisis management was a staggering $9,972,854. Penn State currently spends over $200,000 a month on public relations.
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