The National Football League’s decision to hire former FBI Director Robert Mueller to examine its handling of a player’s domestic violence case mimics companies such as General Motors Co. and BP Plc in hiring high-profile outsiders to blunt criticism by airing their dirty laundry. Corporations are caught between the dueling risks of doing nothing and facing criticism that they are tone-deaf to the public demand for information or having even worse offenses come to light that risk the financial future of the firm. “It’s always a challenge when you’re trying to shine bright lights on what’s going on in dark rooms,” said Davia Temin, head of the New York-based crisis management firm Temin & Co. “The question always is, how far does the public blood-letting go?” — Bloomberg […read more]
