Week Two Assignment

Case Study:

Axing a Beloved Prairie Home Companion

The sexual harassment/#MeToo tidal wave of 2017, begun by Harvey Weinstein’s reprehensible actions, swept away scores of household celebrities in the arts, media, government, and business.
One of those caught up in the Weinstein aftermath was National Public Radio’s Garrison Keillor. The accusations against Keillor, his reponse to them, and the eventual end result were far different and more subtle than those involved in the Weinstein case. Here’s a recap.

NPR’s Brightest StarFor four decades, Garrison Keillor held forth as NPR’s brightest star. As the avuncular host of NPR’s most popular program, A ­Prairie Home Companion, Keillor presided over a weekly old-­fashioned, homespun variety program of song, satire, sound effects, and nostalgic good humor. It was heard by 4 million listeners a week on 700 public radio stations.

2a.  NPR’s Brightest space Pg. 123 I

           6.11. What do you think of MPR’s response to the complaint that its former lead star was guilty of sexual
            harassment?

• 6.12. Had Garrison Keillor hired you to defend him, what would you recommend he do?
• 6.13. Assume for a moment that Keillor’s explanation of what he did was accurate. Given the strength of the #MeToo movement, do you think, realistically, that Keillor could have changed public opinion about the allegations against him?

2b. Why is research important in public relations work?

2c. What are some key principles in dealing with the press?