The charges brought against ASUO Vice President Eduardo Morales have raised questions about the organization’s public relations procedures.
Morales was cited for assault and criminal mischief in the second degree and appeared in municipal court on Oct. 22 to plead innocent. That same day, ASUO spokeswoman Taraneh Foster prepared a press statement. The Emerald was not given a copy of the statement until Oct. 28 when a reporter attempted to interview Morales.

Professionals in the public relations field and public relations professors at the University have contradicting opinions about whether it was a good or bad strategy for ASUO to withhold the statement from the media.
University Professor Thomas Bivins said it would have been a better move to release the statement once the information was available, but he said he could not fault ASUO for trying to protect itself.
“It’s not good press relations,” he said. “But it’s not unethical.”
University Professor Jim Van Leuven also said the smart move would have been to release a press statement or hold a press conference immediately after finding out about the alleged incident.
“Information should have been made available sooner because it is a matter of public record, and (Morales) is a public official,” Van Leuven said.
However, Jim Bradbury, who owns a Eugene-based press relations business, said ASUO’s strategy is a common practice known as a contingency statement, meaning that it is contingent upon media request.
“It’s like breathing in and breathing out,” he said. “You always want to prepare a statement in case the press does call, so you can say what you want to say correctly and to avoid legal issues.”
Bradbury said he would “quite possibly” use the same methods as Foster if found in a similar situation.
“You want to be prepared,” he said.
Foster said the statement was prepared in lieu of being able to interview her regarding the matter because she was leaving town on a business trip the evening of Oct. 23. Foster said she didn’t know if she would have contacted the media had the media not contacted her, adding that ASUO has only an obligation to students.
“We are not required to (notify media),” Foster said. “Media are not our constituents.”
Foster said she used a “crisis communications” tactic while preparing the statement. Having less than an hour to write it, she sought advice from various public relations professionals, including Seattle-based consultant John Starkweather of the Morse Associates.
Starkweather said he advised Foster to keep the statement fair to both parties involved in the incident and to be careful not to take sides. When it comes to crisis communications, Starkweather said the key is to be honest, accurate and quick.
Starkweather said a press statement should be released before the media has to ask for it, however.
“Ideally, you want a statement out before anyone knows about it,” he said. “You want to be proactive.”
Starkweather added that timeliness shouldn’t overshadow the honesty or accuracy of a press statement, saying all three are needed.