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Interviews with news makers and discussion of topics important to Southwest Michigan. Subscribe to the podcast through Apple itunes and Google. Segments of interview are heard in WestSouthwest Brief during Morning Edition and All Things Considered

WSW: "Owning The Ugly" In A Crisis

Carlos Osorio
/
The Associated Press

Rick Chambers despises the word spin, and wants to remove the word from Public relations vocabulary.

Chambers who is owner and president of Rick Chambers and Associates in Kalamazoo says he doesn’t want to work for a client who wants his to spin. He says that’s synonymous with lying. Chambers says PR professionals should provide accountability and transparency. Chambers recently wrote a blog post about the problems at Michigan State University. He spoke with WMUK’s Gordon Evans on Wednesday before news broke that Michigan State University Lou Anna Simon is resigning. Thursday night Chambers added another blog post following the announcement that Simon will resign.

"MSU is going to wrestle with this for a very long time, and the sooner that they own it, the sooner that some people in senior leadership take the accountability and the actions that need to be taken. That's when the process of healing, as long as it will be can begin."

Chambers says Michigan State’s leadership allowed the problems surrounding former sports doctor Larry Nasser to grown because they didn’t “own the ugly” as he tells clients. Chambers says there has also been a lack of empathy for the victims.

rickchambers012418-web.mp3
Interview with Rick Chambers - web version

“MSU is going to wrestle with this for a very long time, and the sooner that they own it, the sooner that some people in senior leadership take the accountability and the actions that need to be taken. That’s when the process of healing, as long as it will be can begin.”

Gongwer News Service Editor Zach Gorchow blogged this week about MSU apparently being concerned about whether insurers will help pay for settlements to Nasser’s victims. Chambers says decisions should be about people and not about dollars. He says trust in MSU has eroded because the university has not acted in the interest of victims.

Chambers ends his blog post saying Simon should resign (she announced Wednesday night that she is stepping down) and members of the board of trustees should exit as soon as possible to least healing begin at Michigan State. Chambers was asked hypothetically, what if he worked for an institution that didn’t make the changes he thought were best. Chambers says it’s easy to say when not facing the reality of family and financial considerations, but

“I would resign…I could not stand to continue to be the champion for a message that I think is just absolutely wrong.”

Gordon Evans became WMUK's Content Director in 2019 after more than 20 years as an anchor, host and reporter. A 1990 graduate of Michigan State, he began work at WMUK in 1996.
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