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Sorry About That (Or Are They?)

Oxford University Press

Did you hear the one about the politician who apologized?  Yeah, neither did we. 

Public official apologies are usually along the lines of "I'm sorry if anyone took offense..."  Notice the careful construction. 

Linguist Edwin Battistella of Southern Oregon University certainly noticed. 

And he wrote the book on apologies: Sorry About That: The Language of Public Apology.

We delve into the words and the impact of apologies.  

 

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Geoffrey Riley is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has hosted the Jefferson Exchange on JPR since 2009. He's been a broadcaster in the Rogue Valley for more than 35 years, working in both television and radio.