Finally someone's practicing ethics in PR: New York Jets

I'm going to safely assume that everyone knows who the New York Jets are. This high profile football team has been in the news a lot lately. Other than the Revis debacle, the NYJ have experienced some negative press. First was due to the HBO Series Hardknocks and the second involved sexual harassment allegations to a female reporter. Despite their wrong doings, the Jets handled both situations from a PR perspective with morals and class. 

In the HBO Series, Hardknocks, the Jets were filmed while at training camp this summer. The behind the scenes footage of the coach, Rex Ryan using profanities created some stir. Many people spoke out again the use of the language and claimed it hurt the reputation of the New York Jets as a franchise. After the show aired however Ryan apologized for his words. He stated that he was sorry for offending people but what impressed me the most was that he was also honest with the public explaining thats just who is is.

Often times in PR companies or people try and pretend to be something that they are not. To me this is wrong. I think Rex Ryan practiced great PR by apologizing for offending people while admitting that's just him. He did not deny anything or pretend to be someone he is not- he was honest, something that is crucial when dealing with PR Ethics.

The second situation that the Jets handled nicely was the harassment case with the female reporter. After an incident in the locker room where the Jets went a little too far with a female reporter, Inez Sainz' the owner of the jets issued an apology. Saying, “I called her the minute I found out about it, and I finally spoke to her later on in the day,” the owner told the media. “We take this very, very seriously, as you can imagine. We want all of our reporters, female or male, to be comfortable wherever they are, on the sideline, in the locker room or at a game. We have to make the working environment professional, representing the New York Jets well.”

Although the players involved in the event also issued an apology I think the fact that the owner was so concerned says a lot about the ethics the NYJ possess.