Why and how PR pros should beware apology fatigue

With apologies, we know that quality, not quantity, counts. Compassion and action mean more than words themselves. As we often tell our children, “showing sorry” is much better than saying it. But in public relations, the knee-jerk reaction is to apologize at lightning speed to diffuse a situation, diminish possible fallout or stop further controversy.

However, an apology can create more problems than it solves.

Yes, public relations professionals have an apology formula. Yes, there are times when it is necessary to acknowledge wrongdoing and only an apology will do. When Weber BBQ mistakenly emailed a meatloaf recipe to cook on the grill the same day that the singer Meat Loaf died, it was perceived as distasteful and insensitive, prompting an appropriate apology.

But there are times when an apology is ineffective and infuriating.

In a June 2021 NPR interview, psychologist Harriet Lerner suggested that, “over-apologizing is not only irritating—it disrupts the flow of the conversation and shifts the focus away from the person who needs to be attended to.”