Jenna Fischer just taught us the art of a good apology on Twitter
In the year 2017, we’ve seen a lot of lackluster apologies. But thankfully, there are people like Jenna Fischer who issue an apology the right way. The actress, known best for her role as Pam in The Office, decided to tweet out her thoughts on the tax bill. The problem was, she didn’t have all of her facts straight.
While many celebrities would either delete the tweet without any explanation (which doesn’t really work, since screencaps exist) or embarrassingly fight their battle until the very end, Fischer made sure to write a lengthy apology that actually sounded as if she was remorseful. Sure, Fischer’s original tweet wasn’t a crime, but it proved that all of us accidentally say things without doing all of the research. The fact that she owned up to it is something everyone should learn from.
“I can’t stop thinking about how school teachers can no longer deduct the cost of their classroom supplies on their taxes … something they shouldn’t have to pay for with their own money in the first place. I mean, imagine if nurses had to go buy their own syringes,” she originally tweeted. While the thought was nice, there was something Fischer wasn’t aware of — the latest tax bill did, indeed, leave room for deductions. Not only did her fans try and correct her, but she was also contacted by Republican Senator Orrin Hatch — who subtly admitted he was a fan.
Correction: That deduction has been left alone. Whether teachers need pens and pencils or entire reams of Dunder Mifflin’s finest card stock, they can still deduct the cost as they could before.
And most will also get well-deserved tax cuts. https://t.co/nAvaOrmU6u #utpol— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) December 24, 2017
After looking into it more, Fischer put out her apology.
I've deleted a tweet and would like to issue an apology. Please read and re-tweet to help me spread the word! Thanks! pic.twitter.com/R6CNyn4bVV
— Jenna Fischer (@jennafischer) December 27, 2017
“I feel genuinely bad for getting my facts wrong and I’m sorry. I did not mean to spread misinformation. I was well-intentioned, but I was behind on my research,” she wrote.
While she deleted the original tweet, she wanted people to know that it was just to avoid spreading misinformation any further — she still took credit for putting it out there in the first place.
“I love a good dialogue. In fact, what I treasure most about our democracy is the dialogue we share with each other, through conversations, social media and the press. But part of having a dialogue involves listening and learning and admitting when you’re wrong,” she continued. “Tweet deleted.”
We applaud Fischer for doing the right thing, and showing all of us what a strong, honest apology looks looks.
