Assignment
ReadME is a social media app company that distributes copyright-free books-both classics and new works-amongst its users, similar to audible or other apps for Kobo, Kindle or other E-readers. The goal was to encourage young people to read classic novels, and it is also an opportunity to help new writers have a forum for their work and hopefully develop a following.
Authors can upload their books and allow the public to read them for a specific period of time. The app is free, but the company makes money from advertisements that pop-up at the end of each chapter.
In an effort to prevent the app from becoming a forum for racist or hate-based literature, the company has recently rewritten its content guidelines and have employed new algorithms to search the books for certain words and either delete the books or add warnings about offensive content.
These new content guidelines were done in a good faith effort to produce a safe space for those using the app. However, one of the side effects of the algorithm used to implement the content guidelines has been an incidental flagging and removing books which contain offensive references to specific ethnic groups: specifically those who are black or Jewish. While some of the books were actual hate literature, others were considered classics, such as Beloved, by Toni Robinson, or The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, by Mordecai Richler. No complaints were placed about the books. However, because some of the language in the stories is considered impolite or racist today, the books were removed. This has sparked outrage among readME's users around the world accusing the company of racism and censorship.
The company that produced readME is Novo-tech, based in Mobile, Alabama. When the founder, Brandon Wilks', Twitter page is examined by a US-based user, they find numerous old tweets where Wilks has spoken negatively towards black athletes or Jewish politicians, sometimes using racist or derogatory terms. These tweets were posted when he was in high school, but they still spark outrage among readME's US users. The news media picks up the story, and soon the new content guidelines are seen as a deliberate attempt to eliminate the voices and experiences of certain ethnic groups. Wilks remains silent on the issue, choosing to delete his Twitter rather than respond to accusations directly. After ordering his workers to fix the algorithm's errors in the implementation of the guidelines, he reaches out to a Public Relations firm based in Ontario, Canada to help recover from this conflict.
You are the team leader at the Ontario PR firm called Promo International. You have several long meetings with Wilks over Zoom to discuss solutions. During the conversations, you realize that while Wilks's old Twitter posts are negative and hurtful, he is deeply apologetic for his past statements, and genuinely embarrassed by his immaturity, especially as he now understands that how others feel when their race or faith is attacked, or their voices are silenced. He wants to make amends but feels as if it will be impossible now that his old twitter posts have been discovered. He also fears the loss of his company due to the public perception. Some advertising clients have already pulled their ads. Wilks does not know how to respond.
Task
For your final project, you need to construct the following business documents to help Wilks deal with this crisis:
A. Summarize the situation. Highlight the most important points that will form the basis of your advice to Wilks. (brief)
B. Inter office Memo: Wilks asks you to help him write message to his employees at readME. The problem with the app's algorithm has been fixed, but office morale is not good and many people seem divided as to who is at fault in this matter. Whatever message you help Wilks write should be in his own voice and contain an action plan for the employees' next steps. It is up to you to decide what the best next course of action is and how to implement it.
C. Message to advertisers: Wilks asks for your help constructing a message to his advertising clients. He wants to explain the goal of the guidelines and what is being done to fix them. Once again, this must be in Wilks's voice.
D. Public Statement/apology: Finally, Wilks also asks for your help constructing a public statement/apology that could be released to the media or sent out on social media. This should also be in his own voice, but the exact form the message takes can be up to you.