The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson
The PR Breakdown reveals the moves behind the mess. Crisis communication expert Molly McPherson dissects the viral scandals, celebrity meltdowns, and corporate disasters dominating headlines to show you the strategic mistakes and desperate moves that destroy reputations - so you never make them yourself.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 337
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
130: Paid, Earned, (Shrimp), and Owned: How to PR in 2021 with Gini Dietrich
The pandemic has created many problems for businesses and organizations, but it has also created a greater need for PR and communication practitioners to find ways to think beyond the challenges of 2…
129: How to Avoid the Excruciating Public Shaming from Cancel Culture: Lessons from Rachel Hollis
Mega-influencer and bestselling self-help author Rachel Hollis found herself in her fan's crosshairs again(!) after sharing a blunt assessment of one of her follower's comments that rubbed her the w…
128: Does it Really Matter if Your CEO is Active on Social Media? Guest Michelle Garrett Has The Answer
As many business leaders come to recognize that online media is an important part of any reliable business plan, many are reluctant to take the leap onto social media for many reasons including: fea…
127: How to Show True Leadership in a Virtual Media Interview with Brad Phillips
Mastering the on-camera presentation is a skill that can benefit anyone working in today's virtual environment.
(Look no further than Governor Andrew Cuomo. He got an Emmy for it for crying out loud.…
126: Quick and Easy Ways to Use Social Media in a PR Crisis: The Tactics I Use With My Clients
The value of social media in a crisis skyrockets when you know how to use the different platforms to boost your PR response efforts.
Molly shares tips from her social media playbook, which she uses f…
125: Build an Indestructible Social Media Crisis Plan in 3 Easy Steps
Social media's effect on crisis communication is powerful. A growing number of crises not only start on social media, but its viral power fuels the communication crisis as well.
This episode explains …
124: How to Speak with Impact: Tips for Commanding the Room with Allison Shapira
Whether you work as a public speaker or occasionally find yourself giving a speech in front of a room, there is an outcome you are likely trying to achieve:
- Persuasion?
- Sales?
- Inspire change?
At the en…
123: How to Spot the Guilty Culprit From This Type of Media Response: Tells from Ted Cruz to Andrew Cuomo
Whenever there is a crisis, there is often the truth, and then there is the story we hear.
Managing a crisis in the age of social media isn't easy, especially when there are so many people with an op…
122: How to Use Social Media In Emergency Situations: Winter Storm Edition
Power outages and no running water have left Texas and other parts of the South reeling from the effects of a deep freeze in mid-February that has created a huge communication need for services that …
121: The Absolute Best Response For a Friend Diagnosed with an Illness
Just found out your dear friend or family member was giving a scary diagnosis?
Do you not know how to deal with it? Wondering how to respond?
This episode is here to help.
A deeply personal episode abou…
120: One Piece of Content You Don't Want to Miss Sharing This Month
The first day of February opens a month that offers many opportunities to acknowledge the achievements and struggles of this group, both past and present.
In this episode, why many companies and organ…
119: How to Manage Communications When You Work For a Difficult Boss with Dr. Abby Medcalf
Sometimes the hardest part of dealing with a bad news story for communicators, is dealing with a boss whose opinions or behavior become the story.
In an episode inspired by the recent story of the CE…
118: How to Deliver Bad News
Is there anything worse than having to deliver a message to someone when you know they don’t want to hear it?
Not only is it one of the most dreadful conversations you can have, it can also lead to p…
117: Damage Control: How to Recover from a Tainted Reputation with Warren Weeks
There does come a point when someone’s behavior puts them in a place of no return when it comes to the acceptance of the public. But where is that line? And who draws it? Was it wrong to attend Presi…
116: What Executives Should Know About Speaking Out on Politics and Social Issues
There were a lot of questions surrounding the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week. Of the many—what should my company say, if anything, about the events in Washington, D.C.?
My guest, Anthony Hay…
115: The ONE Word That Will Stop a Crisis Dead in its Tracks
After Hilaria (ahem, Hillary) Baldwin became the subject of a huge, trending news story during one of the slowest news weeks of the year—she and husband Alec needed a solid response plan.
One course …
114: COVID-19 Communications: The Best Advice from PR Experts
The third part of a series on the best communication tactics during COVID-19, these are episodes I am replaying that are still relevant today as they were in the spring of 2020.*
I have assembled a gr…
113: How to Lead In a Time of the Coronavirus: 7 Ways to Inspire Confidence
The second part of a series on the best communication tactics during COVID-19, these are episodes I am replaying that are still relevant today as they were in March 2020.
The focus is on leadership du…
112: How to Write for COVID-19 with Ann Wylie
Communicators who have been responding to the outbreak of the coronavirus since last spring know how stressful it can be to write the content about your organization's ongoing response.
I hear you.
…
111: How to Respond to a Grieving Friend
Knowing how to respond when a friend mourns the loss of a loved one can be confusing.
People struggle to find the right words to say or to the right thing to do to help a friend cope with grief. Many…