Erik Prince Interview•I believe that Erik Prince effectively addressed criticism against Blackwater

•Prince answered questions promptly and confidently, giving me a sense of truth and knowledge of the topics

•Many people believe that September 11th was when Blackwater burst onto the scene, however Prince discussed knowledgeably how it was actually the sinking of the S.S. Cole ship

•Prince went in depth when discussing the hiring of new Blackwater employees and how they must follow the extensive World Wide Protective Services Contract with everything from screenings, tests, training, background checks, and more

•Prince knew detailed statistics such as the amount of employees killed on the job and the amount of clients killed

•Prince discussed the two killings of Iraqi civilians and how it was an accident; people make mistakes

Erik Prince Interview•Prince publicly apologized for the mistakes of the Blackwater employees and gave his regards to the people involved in the two separate incidents

•Also, Prince calmly explained why many perceive Blackwater to be the ones starting the firing of guns; a misunderstanding that has to do with warning shots and other vehicles coming too close to the Blackwater vehicles

•Prince discussed that everyone in his company is considered accountable as long as they are given due process

•Prince claimed the company was credible in that they fired 120 people over a three year span for small reasons such as steroid use, theft, and more so that Blackwater employees are careful to not make bigger judgment errors

•The only part of the interview where I felt Prince was ineffective, was when he seemed to avoid answering the amount of Iraqi insurgents killed by Blackwater employees

Documentary• After watching this documentary, I

believe that there are many tactics that Prince can use to quell criticism of Blackwater including:

• React to media and press claims that Blackwater is “trained to kill” by emphasizing that Blackwater is purely a protective company and only acts in situations that require defense. Because of these actions, all Blackwater clients have been transported safely with no client fatalities

•Make sure that teams have full attendance before being sent on a mission. Stress that without even one gunner, the team is incomplete and both the team and the client are in danger

•Work to keep teams together and in sync, instead of switching teams around daily

•Emphasize the fact that Blackwater employees go through extensive screening, training, testing, and background checks before they are hired. Perhaps give a video news release to the media with a bottom line synopsis of the World Wide Protective Services Contract and how it relates to the Blackwater company

Documentary• Attempt to purchase cars that are not so

easily identifiable by insurgents. Make sure they are safe, but not brand new, easily spotted American SUVs

• Increase training of employees so that less mistakes are made and the company can attempt to decrease the amount of gun use

• Create and office or hotline that publics can call and ask questions or inquire with concerns or comments

•Stress the fact that Blackwater employees are paid more than military officials and are taken care of by the company

•Emphasize the detailed briefing that employees receive daily including maps and location details, client training sessions, and civilian situations

•Discuss with the media that Blackwater employees are trying to protect the United States as well as Iraqi civilians by defending against Iraqi insurgents and that they are all very honorable men and women and should be regarded as such

Model of Public Relations• In my opinion, I believe that Blackwater is

using the Public Information Model of Public Relations

• I see this because:• In the interview with Erik Prince, he was

very complete in each of his responses• Also, Prince’s responses and statistics

given in the interview appeared to be accurate

• When discussing mistakes, incidents, or incriminating evidence, Prince explained in full why the actions were taken and how the issue was resolved

• Prince gave general information about the Blackwater company so that publics would see them as truthful and believe that there was nothing to be hidden

• Overall, I felt very little persuasive intent coming from Erik Prince and an abundance of complete and related information