On April 9, 2008, Jack Cafferty made comments concerning the United States’ relationship with China. These comments included calling the Chinese “goons and thugs” and labeling Chinese products “junk.” Over the next month and a half, thousands of Chinese Americans organized outside of CNN studios across the U.S. demanding an apology from Cafferty and CNN. CNN responded with silence, clarifying statements, and thin apologies, all of which served to fuel negative opinion and ultimately elevate the story to international headlines. 9 pp. Case # 09-06. (2009)

Just weeks before the tightly contested 2004 presidential election, the CBS television network aired a feature story alleging that President George W. Bush received preferential treatment while in service to the Texas Air National Guard. At the center of the story are photocopies of memos supporting the allegations. Almost immediately following the broadcast, bloggers and news sites begin to question the authenticity of these memos. The maelstrom that ensues questions CBS’ and Dan Rather’s motives, and both the credibility and the role of broadcast media in the internet age. 9 pp. Case #05-05. (2005)

While conducting an internal audit, David Cruickshank, the newly-hired publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, was faced with a chilling reality about how his newspaper was operating. Cruickshank uncovered data proving that the Sun-Times circulation figures – the lifeline of the paper’s advertising revenues – had been inflated for nine years. The credibility of one of the nation’s top publications was on the line, and Cruickshank needed to decide how to communicate this to his staff and, more importantly, to the world.

By July 2011, News Corporation and one of its UK newspapers, News of the World, faced mounting pressure over revelations that it hacked into cellphone voicemails of crime victims, war widows, celebrities, government officials, and even members of the Royal Family. This case examines the events leading up to the peak of the crisis, as well as the communications that News Corporation undertook to address stakeholder concerns throughout the emergence and escalation of the scandal. Case # 12-09 (2012)