What Makes a Great Apology? Addressing the media and community

There are key elements which make an effective apology:

Acknowledgement of what happened

I made a mistake is ok but a bit vague. You need to say what you are sorry for, for example, “I am sorry for making an insensitive comment and for offending others.”

Explanation of why

But don’t make excuses. There really is no excuse for bad behaviour and if you provide an excuse, it’s no longer a genuine apology.  “There was no excuse for my behaviour.”

Expression of regret

Only a genuine expression of shame, humiliation or remorse is going to resonate. 

How you will make amends

Depending on the issue, you can:  repay for tangible offences (for example, loss of property); compensate for non-tangible offences (for example, poor behaviour/violation of trust), ask / find out what would mean most to those offended. 

You can’t change the past but can put measures in place for the future.