"Jaws" and university PR

Remember “Jaws”? The administration at this university doesn’t. Unfortunately for them. They way they are reported to have handled a suspicious on-campus death bears more than a passing resemblance to the way the mayor of Amity, the tourist town in Jaws, tried to ignore a Great White threat to the local chamber of commerce, feeding just offshore.

Who says you don’t learn anything in Film Studies?

Suggestion: Make Jaws required viewing in “Public Relations 401: Advanced Topics in Issues Mis-Mangement.”

From Jaws:

Mayor Vaughn (trying to persuade police chief to massage his public statements, and avoid using the word “shark”.): Martin, it’s all psychological. You yell barracuda, everybody says, “Huh? What?” You yell shark, we’ve got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July.
…..

Mayor Vaughn: I don’t think either of one you are familiar with our problems.
Hooper: I think that I am familiar with the fact that you are going to ignore this particular problem until it swims up and bites you on the @#!.
……

Mayor Vaughn: I’m only trying to say that Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars. Now, if the people can’t swim here, they’ll be glad to swim at the beaches of Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Long Island…
Brody: That doesn’t mean we have to serve them up as smorgasbord.