More PR Disasters At Colorado

As Ward Churchill continues to be a bad PR magnet, the University of Colorado needs all the help it can get. This, as reported by the CU Daily Camera, didn't help:

An e-mail written by Ray Gomez, associate vice president for university communications, to Michael Hesse, associate vice president for university advancement, was mistakenly forwarded Wednesday to Camera reporter Elizabeth Mattern Clark.

It said the public-relations plan that would be given to the media is a "cleaned up version" and sections titled "introduction" and "summary" wouldn't be included because they are internal.

"I don't think it's any of her business, quite frankly," Gomez wrote in the e-mail. "I also removed references to any appendices. "

As we saw last weekend, this reporter isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I agree with your recommendation yesterday that we walk her through this."

When Mattern Clark contacted Hesse on Wednesday, he wrote in an e-mail: "Elizabeth that note did not refer to you. I will call you to explain."

Hesse first told Mattern Clark that the e-mail referred to a journalist at the Silver & Gold Record, CU's faculty newspaper. However, later in the afternoon, the public relations office acknowledged the e-mail referred to the Camera reporter.

"It's very ironic and unfortunate," said Gomez.

Gomez and Hesse, each earning $150,000, started their jobs with the university in December. Together the men have begun developing a communications plan for the university.

Tip 1: Don't put sensitive things in writing. Tip 2: Don't lie and cover up. Tip 3: Don't be as stupid as the professors.