Plus: Reddit reassures users in verification change; Meta and YouTube found liable in social media case.
After a deadly crash involving an Air Canada Express flight earlier this week, CEO Michael Rousseau recorded a public video to express condolences.
There was nothing wrong with his message except that it was only in English. The video had French subtitles.
This didn’t sit well in Canada, where both English and French are the official languages and Air Canada, headquartered in Montreal, is required by law to offer all services in both. It is the only airline legally required to do so. The flight involved in the crash also originated from Montreal.
Rousseau is now facing backlash, with Prime Minister Mark Carney criticizing the move as “lacking judgment and compassion” in a moment that called for both, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Rousseau apologized in a statement, saying: “I am deeply saddened that my inability to speak French has diverted attention from the profound grief of the families and the great resilience of Air Canada’s employees, who have demonstrated outstanding professionalism despite the events of the past few days.
“Despite many lessons over several years, unfortunately, I am still unable to express myself adequately in French. I sincerely apologize for this, but I am continuing my efforts to improve.”
For some context, back in 2021, Rousseau claimed his work schedule left him little time to become proficient in French. But the Air Canada board said the CEO’s language skills would become a part of his annual review. In 2025, while not fluent, Rousseau’s colleagues said he “has continued to act on his personal pledge to learn French.”
Why it matters: While there’s an obvious cultural impact here, there’s also a legal one, which means the airline could face more than just backlash.
It’s interesting that Air Canada would choose a CEO who didn’t meet their language requirements at an airline based in a French-speaking province. Especially when he’s been criticized for his language skills before.
Brands must ensure their leaders represent and understand their stakeholders and abide by legal requirements. When they don’t, people may feel alienated. Messages risk coming across as tone-deaf or insincere, which doesn’t do much to build trust. And the airline itself looks unaware or dismissive.
While Rousseau’s latest statement shows regret and ownership, it doesn’t explain why the airline didn’t prepare more carefully in their crisis response. When a leader acknowledges the miss but blames it on personal ability, it can come across as sidestepping the bigger issue: why wasn’t this handled correctly in the first place?
There are ways to ensure a message is delivered so it is accessible by everyone, especially in a moment this high-stakes and Rousseau failed to do that during a particularly emotional time, causing some real reputational damage.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- Reddit announced this week it was taking steps to add verification in order to spot bot activity. But to avoid Discord-level abandonment, the team made it clear that it was not asking for platform-wide verification. In a blog post titled “Humans welcome. (bots must wear nametags)” the company addressed exactly what they were doing, why they were doing it and how privacy would be protected. It was complete with a very on-brand TL;DR section at the top, making it easily scannable, and then continued to address the change point by point. “As AI becomes a bigger part of the internet, we want to make sure that when you’re on Reddit, you know when you’re talking to a person and when you’re not,” the company wrote. They also explicitly said: “We don’t have or want your real-world identity,” making it clear what this change was not doing. This is how you communicate change! Not only did Reddit stay true to its format of social posts, it offered guidance, reassurance and support. During times of change, particularly where privacy is concerned, brands that reiterate their priorities and values while offering clean explanations and reassurance will soothe their stakeholders rather than alienate them. This is very good comms.
- A jury in Los Angeles found that Meta and YouTube were responsible for harming a young user’s mental health because their platforms were designed to be addictive. The plaintiff argued, and the jury agreed, that features like infinite scroll and autoplay contributed to her social media addiction. They were ordered to pay $3 million in punitive damages and $3 million in compensatory damages, CBS This is a precedent-setting case and one that will likely shape how social media protections are thought of moving forward. Social media companies will not only have to clearly explain teen safeguards, they’ll have to show that what they say matches how their product actually works. Both Meta and YouTube said they disagreed and would appeal the verdict: “Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app,” Meta told the outlet in a very clear legal response.
- Creator Alix Earle had fans in full detective mode trying to figure out her next move after a billboard in the style of a puzzle launched in NYC. It read, “We’re about to bare it all-a big secret is breaking out, one puzzle piece at a time.” Yahoo! reports that the billboard encouraged fans to follow the new Instagram account @wtfisalixdoing to “be the first to solve” the mystery. Day by day, more puzzle pieces were removed from the billboard leading up to the announcement and more videos dropped on IG and TikTok with hints. Meanwhile, fans were making their predictions and working together in the comments to decipher the message. Spoiler: it’s a skin care line. This is a fun way to draw interest, engagement and what fans increasingly want: participation. There was intrigue, mystery and an extended route to get to the announcement, which makes it all feel more like an experience that unfolds over time. When brands can offer people something to keep them coming back, they feel included, which is a quick way to build loyalty and trust.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
The post The Scoop: Air Canada is required to offer bilingual services. Its CEO doesn’t speak French. appeared first on PR Daily.
