I got to interview the wise and wonderful @marjorieingall.bsky.social who knows everything there is to know about saying “I’m sorry,” accepting apologies, and soliciting one when necessary. This was such a good (and useful!) conversation. ninabadzin.com/2025/09/29/1...

Via @evgrieve.bsky.social; a group of fratty fellows were caught on video stealing an East Village empanada shop's sign. The shop shamed them on Insta & asked for help ID'ing them. The next night, a person in a hoodie, sunglasses & ski mask returned the sign...with an apology Post-It.

The Flannery O'Connor Apology Response

I do not know who else needs to hear this @sorrywatch.bsky.social @aoc.bsky.social @chrisccuomo.bsky.social , but “Thank you for correcting me” is not an Apology.

Very sincere, very heartfelt

Time to add "as a girl dad" to a Bad Apology Bingo card! (We already had "behind the scenes," "this has caused," "going forward," "learn from," "source of negativity" and "what was said on the Internet" as bingo squares.) awfulannouncing.com/espn/pat-mca...

Blaming Coldplay in your apology is certainly a choice.

Unjustly jailed grad student Mahmoud Khalil is suing the Trump administration for $20M, but "would accept, in lieu of payment, an official apology and abandonment of the administration’s unconstitutional policy." abcnews.go.com/US/mahmoud-k...

"We are all going to die" unpacked. What a foul 'apology'! sorrywatch.com/i-value-my-i...

Thoughts on NOT apologizing.

Police apologies are rare, so we had hopes for this one. But, um, questions remain... sorrywatch.com/a-person-of-...

Pro tip: When you've been accused of racism after posting racist things about George Floyd and Muslims, maybe don't say "I don't even kill spiders" as evidence of your lack of racism

Apology experts here <checking research>: No apology owed.

Today we learned that former Jets QB Mark Sanchez apologized for eating a hot dog on the sidelines during a 2009 game. And it was a good apology! 1/

Banish "Sorry not sorry" b/c it's a cliche, but not b/c it's "a half-hearted apology masquerading as bold honesty" or "disingenuous." We think most speakers & listeners actually understand it, in real-world use, to mean "I'm not sorry at all."

Every December there's a raft of worst-celebrity-apology stories, so they must generate clicks ... but doesn't this one seem half-hearted? (Don't most of them?) wapo.st/3DzkMmu

Thanks to those who sent us this godawful apology. It uses passive voice, doesn't name the offense, takes no responsibility ... plus those quotation marks around "deemed 'late' or 'unnecessary'"? Chef's kiss. www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...

How is Oliver "devastated to hear [he's] caused offence" NOW?? Where was the oversight during the publishing process? Who wrote the thing? Why were there no sensitivity or authenticity readers along the way, especially when reading the plot description makes one want to die?

Broadway TikTok is NOT happy with Scherzinger’s apology for cheering Russell Brand’s MAGA-style hat; it ducks fans’ questions about whether she’s pro-Trump. variety.com/2024/legit/n...

Catching up on apologies, now using our Bluesky account! This is a good one: Uses the word "apologize" (instead of "regret"), actually names what she did (no "the unfortunate incident"), shows she understands the impact of her actions, doesn't offer excuses, takes ownership.

Sorry for ignoring this account for months; we totally forgot it existed. (Sadly, the truth.) (But we're off evil Twitter now and will be posting here more often!)

Carolyn Hax is always sound on apologies! Behold, a good thing to say after you go inappropriately nuclear on a teacher who perhaps made a small if well-intentioned error in judgment ... but DID NOT DESERVE TO BE COMPLAINED ABOUT TO THE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT JEEZ! wapo.st/464rvzf

when you pick the wrong draft

Hmm @sorrywatch.bsky.social

Sorry we've been quiet! Behold, a fascinating historical apology. It's not a GOOD apology, but it is a meaningful one ... in response to an act of courage by an incredible woman who should be better known in the USA. sorrywatch.com/why-did-i-sa...

We don't necessarily advocate this mode of eliciting a good apology. Necessarily.

wah!

Hey, all, our gorgeously-reviewed book is out in paperback —with a new snazzy cover and a new title, GETTING TO SORRY — AND we just looked and the Kindle version is $1.99 today! Link to all the ways to buy the book here:

It's the six worst public apologies of 2023! (Feel free to add your own in the comments. We have a hard time believing anyone did worse than Ashton & Mila, though.) sorrywatch.com/six-times-ce...

Bicoastal unboxing (with bonus guest preschooler) of our new paperback, on sale January 2, with new title and new cheaper price!

This awesome librarian at the Grafton Public Library in MA dressed as a zombie (see bite mark on arm!) for book group, to represent Rebecca Johnson's "by zombies" test we discuss in Sorry, Sorry, Sorry.

Vile, vile, vile.

It's never too late to apologize! (Either for implying that Paul was dead, or for plagiarizing someone's ELSE'S story about Paul being dead.)

Hi! We're on Bluesky! We're journalists with a book on apology (SORRY, SORRY, SORRY: The Case for Good Apologies) and a web site (SorryWatch.com) where we've been examining research on apology and discussing good/crapola apologies since 2012.