John Guiniven, associate professor of corporate communication, recently wrote an article on the public relations strategy adopted by Duke University to handle rape allegations against members of its men’s lacrosse team. The article, titled “Higher Learning,” appeared in the summer issue of The Public Relations Strategist, the magazine of the Public Relations Society of America.
Guiniven says the school made a few mistakes early in the crisis, but gave Duke high marks for “dealing with it at the institutional level. It was never about the team or its players. It was always about the university and its reputation. Duke recognized this.”