Forget Fox News: The Art of the Company Apology Is Not Dead, Yet

When news breaks about big legal settlement, a lot of people look first for the dollar amount. I look for the apology.

It probably comes from my days as a federal prosecutor, listening to defendants speak at sentencing. They often entered “not guilty” pleas in ther first court appearances and maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings, even on the witness stand.

I was always curious to hear what they’d say after being convicted.

Would they “accept responsibility” for their actions in exchange for what they hoped would be leniency? Would they express remorse? What if the judge asked: “exactly what ...