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The purpose of this study was to examine Manti Te�o's image repair strategies during an interview with Katie Couric. This interview followed reports that Te�o had been involved in an elaborate hoax featuring a fake girlfriend. The interview was a worthy avenue of investigation as it was Te�o's first opportunity to publicly defend himself on camera following a week of ridicule and speculation by media outlets and the public. A deductive thematic analysis was conducted on Te�o's responses utilizing Benoit's image repair typology and other recently identified image repair strategies as a guide. Results revealed that Te�o did not deviate from previously established strategies by employing defeasibility, victimization, good intentions, stonewalling, retrospective regret, bolstering, shifting blame, and simple denial. Collectively, the employment of these tactics illustrated a timid, naïve, and remorseful approach to image repair. While some of Te�o's choices were appropriate, the heavy use of stonewalling and victimization may have been ineffective in changing audience perception.
