Seton Hall students got an inside look at how major corporations navigate negative press as former Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Lead Company Spokesperson Ernie Knewitz and Wall Street Journal Deputy Corporate Editor Jonathan Rockoff led a masterclass on Wednesday.
Knewitz, a 1992 Seton Hall alumnus who joined the College of Human Development, Culture and Media as an adjunct professor in January, welcomed Rockoff to discuss the dynamic between journalists and public relations professionals.
To illustrate the dynamic in practice, Knewitz shared stories from his 25-year relationship with Rockoff, describing him as someone he has collaborated with on countless projects—“some fun, some not fun.”
Before working with Knewitz, Rockoff reported on J&J, including stories alleging the company had done “terrible things to surreptitiously remove [defective] products” that had been recalled.
“They didn't want the bad publicity about these recalled products, so they tried to do it on the down low,” Rockoff said.
As J&J’s lead spokesperson, Knewitz said his role required bringing “the outside very hard truth” into internal discussions, giving the truth “very few people want to hear.”
“If you're ever uncomfortable speaking truth to power, in that kind of position where it's your responsibility, then you're in the wrong company,” Knewitz said.
Knewitz and Rockoff’s professional relationship began during a tumultuous time for J&J, as the company faced recalls and bad news. Following the departure of its CEO at the time, Alex Gorsky filled the role, and Knewitz was promoted to a position where he worked closely with him.
One of Knewitz’s first moves was arranging a sit-down between himself, Gorsky, Rockoff and one of Rockoff’s colleagues. Knewitz said Gorsky had a strategic plan, and it was his job to put it into “a consolidated narrative” to explain to the Wall Street Journal and a “disenfranchised employee base.”
“We sat down, and we did, just a very candid… probably off the record, [a] very detailed, ‘What are you going to do?’ analysis and give a very clear roadmap of where we're going to go,” Knewitz said.
Rockoff said that while such meetings can be tiring for executives, they are critical when new leadership is trying to reset the image, brand, relationship and culture.
“What we saw in the coverage leading up to [Gorksy’s] ascension to CEO was just sort of the impact that a negative story in The Wall Street Journal could have on the company's image, on its stock, its reputation on Wall Street, and then with employees,” Rockoff said.
J&J faced intense scrutiny as one of its landmark products, baby powder, was accused of being a “killer product laced with asbestos.”
Knewitz said J&J knew the product was safe, but had to tell this information in a way that would resonate with The Wall Street Journal and their leadership, giving them something substantial that “diffuses the issue” and “doesn’t shy away from it.”
“This is sort of an example of how relationships matter and secondly, how the sausage gets made in journalism, especially when you have these kinds of strong and trusting relationships which are so so valuable and important for both sides,” Rockoff said.
He added that while he aimed to give J&J a “fair shake,” that didn’t mean softening coverage.
“You need to have this sort of relationship undergirding all that so I can trust that they're going to give me the access that I need and deliver the story that we talked about, and they know that they can talk with me and be open with me and that I'm not going to surprise them with stuff,” Rockoff said.
Knewitz said that trust developed over time through repeated collaboration.
“Jon and I could negotiate that in a very diplomatic way, without it ever being personal because it's not,” Knewitz said.
While relationships between PR professionals and journalists can sometimes become strained, Knewitz emphasized the importance of maintaining professionalism.
“I would hope that Jon and I would be friends forever, and I think we will be right,” Knewitz said.
Knewitz is anticipated to teach courses in the Fall 2026 semester, although information remains unconfirmed.
Dominique Mercadante is the Editor-in-Chief of The Setonian. She can be reached at dominique.mercadante@student.shu.edu.
