About that Gianforte matter.
While he stays oddly vague about what he did, at least now we know that Greg Gianforte’s apologies are matched by his actions.
Greg Gianforte, the Montana congressman-elect who was accused of “body slamming” a reporter, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault Monday morning.
Judge Rick West sentenced Gianforte to a 180-day deferred sentence, 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management and a $300 fine along with a $85 court fee…
Jacobs was present and made a statement in the courtroom. Gianforte later asked if he could address Jacobs directly and apologized again.
“I just want to say I’m sorry and if and when you’re ready, I look forward to sitting down with you in DC,” he said.
Thank you, Montana justice system and thank you, Mr. Gianforte.
Hi ILoveCapitalism,
I am glad he apologized. I am also glad that they are not soft on crime in Colorado! Found this; you might find it interesting:
“A common question that our clients ask us is: what is the sentence for an assault in the third-degree conviction in Colorado? Well, the first thing to know is that other than a sex misdemeanor, assault is the most serious misdemeanor you can be charged with in Colorado. It is called an “extraordinary risk crime” which means that you are exposed from six months up to two whole years in county jail without work release or ankle monitoring (called In Home Detention). If you are lucky enough to get probation, you may be required to serve up to 60 days straight jail as a condition of probation, and you can count on many classes that your probation will make you take possibly including anger management classes, domestic violence classes in Colorado, conflict resolution classes, parenting classes, drug and alcohol abuse classes, and the list goes on and on.”
That’s a really good apology.
I’ve always said a proper apology has three components: I’m sorry, I was wrong, and please forgive me.
Most apologies today are the non-apologetic variety: I’m sorry if anyone was offended by my actions/comments. Apply that to this situation. I’m sorry if you were offended when I body slammed you to the floor. Just doesn’t cut it, and nobody would accept that, so why do we give people a pass when they start the “If anyone was off…”? I’d love to see people called out on this stuff.
What makes an apology effective
Research by Lewicki suggests that there are six elements to an effective apology. They are, in order of importance, an acknowledgement of responsibility; an offer of repair; an expression of regret; an explanation of what went wrong; a declaration of repentance and a request for forgiveness. The more elements an apology includes, the more likely the apology is to be accepted, Lewicki said.
Gianforte’s letter is well-rounded based on these standards. Lewicki, who has analyzed prior public apologies, reviewed what makes Gianforte’s note stand out. Below is the letter to Jacobs, re-typed, with annotations of where these apology elements come into play:
Dear Mr. Jacobs:
I write to express my sincere apology for my conduct on the evening of May 24. My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful [acknowledgement of responsibility]. As both a candidate for office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public [acknowledgement of responsibility]. My treatment of you did not meet that standard [expression of regret].
Notwithstanding anyone’s statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you. I am sorry for what I did and the unwanted notoriety this has created for you [expression of regret]. I take full responsibility [acknowledgement of responsibility]
I understand the critical role that journalists and the media play in our society. Protections afforded to the press through the Constitution are fundamental to who we are as a nation and the way government is accountable to the people. I acknowledge that the media have an obligation to seek information. I also know that civility in our public discourse is central to a productive dialogue on issues. I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about healthcare policy [declaration of repentance]. You were doing your job.
In the hope that perhaps some good news can come of these events, I am making a $50,000 contribution to the Committee To Protect Journalists, an independent non-profit organization that promotes press freedom and that protects the rights of journalists worldwide [offer of repair].
I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness [request for forgiveness].
Sincerely,
Greg Gianforte
Gianforte’s apology repeatedly accepts responsibility and shows remorse over his actions. That matters, according to Lewicki.
“One of the things we found in our research was that acknowledgements of responsibility were probably one of the most important components of an apology and he comes back to that several times,” Lewicki said.
Lewicki said Gianforte’s request to repair ― aka, the $50,000 donation to the Committee to Protect Journalists ― is somewhat remarkable and does a good job of expressing genuine concern.
“That’s not chump change,” he said.
How the apology is being received
Huff post
Correction: that’s really great apology.
He asked for forgiveness. That’s unheard of in this day and age.
Pretty impressive.
Some questions on this incident. 1. Audio, but no video- all you hear is a scuffle. A body slam would produce quite a sound…where was it. 2. The reporter doesn’t sound like he was just body slammed. 3. The was a closed room and a private interview, the reporter had no business, journalist or not, barging in and slamming a recorder in Gianfortes face asking questions. He was told to leave, he didn’t. Was he hoping for a confrontation?
4. Does Gianforte have a history of aggressiveness? Apparently not, or ot would have been laid bare in not just this, but his gubernatorial campaign.
Not excusing Gianforte, but I’m not giving this journalist a pass either.