UC Davis spent thousands to scrub pepper-spray references from Internet

[SecularMotion]

UC Davis contracted with consultants for at least $175,000 to scrub the Internet of negative online postings following the November 2011 pepper-spraying of students and to improve the reputations of both the university and Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, newly released documents show.

The payments were made as the university was trying to boost its image online and were among several contracts issued following the pepper-spray incident.

Some payments were made in hopes of improving the results computer users obtained when searching for information about the university or Katehi, results that one consultant labeled “venomous rhetoric about UC Davis and the chancellor.”

Others sought to improve the school’s use of social media and to devise a new plan for the UC Davis strategic communications office, which has seen its budget rise substantially since Katehi took the chancellor’s post in 2009. Figures released by UC Davis show the strategic communications budget increased from $2.93 million in 2009 to $5.47 million in 2015.

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article71659992.html

[KamaAina]

1. Ongoing discussion in California group

http://www.democraticunderground.com/104013561

[Buzz Clik]

2. That incident was -- and is -- a study in how not to handle a protest.

[snot]

3. I think this is of interest outside CA, too –

I'm sure governmental agencies everywhere are spending tax dollars on reputation management, and more light on the subject would be beneficial.

[bemildred]

4. Notice, it's not the pepper spray, it's how it looks that's the problem. nt

[Mike__M]

7. Some creative entrepreneurial thug

could invent rainbow hued pepper spray. Watch for it in Cleveland.

[romanic]

5. Maybe it's just me

but that money sound like it would have been better spent on students or staff. :/

[tabasco]

6. Or better training for their nazi rent-a-cops. n/t

[Throd]

8. Katehi is a double-dipping incompetent.