Date of Award

12-1-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Second Advisor

Dr.Morehouse Kristina

Abstract

Crises on a college campus can be especially destructive, as the audience includes students, families, and important stakeholders. The Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal burst into the scene on November 5, 2011, when initial charges were filed against Sandusky for his alleged acts against minors. The scandal rocked the culture and reputation of Penn State University, causing the release of head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier, as well as the charging of perjury against Tim Curley and Gary Schultz in their apparent roles in the incident. Benoit’s Image Repair Theory (1995) is the main theoretical basis of this study. The communication of crisis information is also explored in the attempt to identify the differences between how the local news lens The Daily Collegian and the news service of Penn State University disseminate information regarding the scandal to the public. The main difference between these two entities is the number of stories coded through a search of “Jerry Sandusky, with The Daily Collegian containing 315 stories and Penn State University containing a mere nine. According to the results of this study, both The Daily Collegian and Penn State University utilized the corrective action strategy the most in the attempt to repair the image of the university.

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