froginmn,
TCU made a big splash with the press conference, leading to a big media circus. Then our speakers overexagerrated the facts, causing even more of a media circus.
We should have been talking to the media about how this was a NOT a drug ring, that only two or three students were involved with anything other than marijuana, that some of the students were not even enrolled at TCU, that the majority of the transactions took place off campus, and that the total amount of marijuana sold was less than one pound.
I know that the media may have sensationalized it anyway, but then we'd be having a different conversation. Instead, TCU has to look inwardly as to why they allowed such a PR disaster to occur.
Now, I know that hindsight is 20/20 and that TCU may not have known all those facts at the time, but if you don't know the facts, don't hold a press conference. And if you do hold a press conference, keep things calm and played down, don't escalate them.
Our speakers oversold this thing so much that the media had no choice but to go big with the story.
Finally, oldscribe, I love your posts and the years of wisdom that you bring to this board, and I agree with your sentiment generally, but I am blaming the PR side because the PR side of this is the problem.