Vocal commiseration strategies are a family of four strategies that Smith (2009, p. 124) describes as ones in which the organization expresses empathy and understanding about the misfortune suffered by its publics: (a) concern through which the organization expresses that it is not indifferent to a problem, without admitting guilt, (b) condolence in which the organization expresses grief over someone’s loss or misfortune, again without admitting guilt, (c) regret which involves admitting sorrow and remorse for a situation with a wish that an event had not happened, and finally (d) apology which involves publicly accepting full responsibility and asking forgiveness.