Can you Alter what the Internet says about you? Ask UC – Davis.

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To improve the reputation of the University of California, Davis, and its Chancellor, Linda P.B. Katehi, after the November 2011 pepper spraying of students, the university contracted with consultants for at least $175,000 to scrub negative online Internet postings about the incident.

Questions:
1. Explain what percentage the strategic communications budget increased by from 2009 to 2015. Based on your reading of the article, what were some of the reasons?
2. What type of consultants do you think they contracted with?
3. What other controversies are associated with the Chancellor?
4. Do you think that the school acted ethically and/or legally in the incident and scrub-up?
5. What was the most interesting item that you read about in this article?

Source:
Stanton, S. and D. Lambert. (2016). UC Davis spent $175,000 to scrub online pepper spray references. McClatchy, DC, April 13 (Retrievable online at http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article71700862.html).