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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.
Episodes
355 episodes
The Distraction That Derailed a Re-Election Campaign: Tim Walz vs Trump
This week, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz abruptly ended his bid for a third term. This episode was recorded four days earlier during a live conversation and, in hindsight, it explains exactly why this outcome was almost inevitable. Am...
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Episode 345
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44:51
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Most Listened to Episode of 2025 - Inside The Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni PR War
This is the most downloaded episode of the year, resurfaced for the holiday week because the fallout is still unfolding in real time. Breaking down the Hollywood power struggle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, with Ryan Reynolds playing...
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Episode 344
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45:04
Top PR Wins and Fails of 2025: Part Two
This is the main event of Molly's Top PR Wins and Fails of 2025 series, recorded live on Substack (aired Friday, December 19) and built around the stories that truly owned the year: culture-war outrage that turned into real market impact...
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Episode 343
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44:58
Top PR Wins and Fails of 2025: Part One
This week’s episode kicks off Part One of The Top PR Wins and Fails of 2025 by pulling straight from the headlines and social media feeds that dominated the year. Instead of rehashing scandals, it digs into the decisions behind them: w...
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Episode 342
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20:04
The PR Hits, Misses, and Face Plants You Missed This Week
This week’s episode gives you a front row seat to my Friday live sessions, where culture, crisis, and community collide in the best possible way. Think of it as a sampler plate of reputational highs and lows. Some hits. Some misses. A few absol...
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39:05
The Essay That Split a Kennedy Dynasty: What Tatiana Schlossberg Revealed
A close look at Tatiana Schlossberg's viral New Yorker essay, A Battle with My Blood. It is an emotional piece that blends grief, legacy, and quiet fury, and it signals a deeper shift inside the Kennedy family. The episode walks throug...
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Episode 340
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14:41
Trump, Summers, Spacey, and Markle: Who Owned It and Who Faked It
This week’s episode dives into a crowded lineup of public figures who all managed to confuse PR maneuvering with actual accountability: President Trump’s “quiet piggy” moment on Air Force One and the broader pattern behind his attacks on women ...
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Episode 339
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42:20
Michael Wolff’s Messy Attempt to Explain Why He Was Helping Epstein
This episode starts with a line that should make anyone in communications sit up a little straighter. Michael Wolff, a bestselling Trump biographer and longtime access journalist, emailed Jeffrey Epstein with strategic advice about how Epstein ...
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Episode 338
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19:40
PR in the Age of GEO: How to Make Sure AI Gets Your Story Right
You saw “GEO” in the title and almost tuned out, didn’t you? Hold that thought. If you work in communications, PR, media, or journalism, this episode might just change how you think about your job.GEO, or Generative Engine Optimizati...
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Episode 337
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35:04
The Anatomy of a Royal Fallout: The PR Behind the Prince Andrew Statement
This episode goes behind the polished words of Buckingham Palace to unpack the public relations machinery that managed the downfall of Prince Andrew.In October 2025, King Charles III formally removed all of Andrew’s titles and e...
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Episode 336
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29:50
PR Meets Politics: Cheryl Hines Learns the Kennedy Spin
When your marriage becomes a media strategy, what do you say—and what do you not say?In this episode, Molly McPherson breaks down Cheryl Hines’ carefully crafted response to rumors surrounding her husband, RFK Jr., and journalis...
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Episode 335
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16:35
If Your Group Chat Praises Hitler, You Don’t Have a PR Problem, You Have a You Problem
When Politico dropped nearly 3,000 pages of leaked Telegram messages from the Young Republican National Federation, it revealed a disturbing culture behind closed doors. In this episode, Molly McPherson unpacks why private chats are never reall...
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Episode 334
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11:46
From Panic to Power: The 90-Second Rule for Handling Haters
When the internet comes for you, your instinct is to fight back or disappear. Neither helps. In this episode, Molly breaks down her simple, proven 90-second rule for handling online hate without losing your cool or your credibility.
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Episode 333
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3:38
When Sports and Scandal Collide: Inside the Biggest Controversies and Comebacks
In this episode, Molly sits down with Jim Rocco and Thom Weidlich, co-authors of Sports Crisis Communications: Cases and Controversies, to explore how the worlds of sports and crisis PR collide. Fr...
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Episode 332
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36:01
Behind the Scenes of Greg Floyd’s Interview: Son Admits Killing Parents on Camera
This episode of The PR Breakdown examines a viral crime case out of Albany, New York, that drew national attention when a suspect confessed on camera to killing and burying his parents. Guest Greg Floyd, veteran journalist and anchor, ...
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Episode 331
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47:53
Breaking Down the Media Statements: Kimmel, Trump, Tylenols Counterpunch
When three statements drop within the same hour, it’s not just news, it’s a case study.Disney walks back Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension with a vague, deflective release.Donald Trump grabs headlines in the Roosevelt...
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Episode 330
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16:16
When Words Become Weapons: Speech, Consequences, and the Charlie Kirk Fallout
Outrage isn’t random anymore, it’s a playbook. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, what started as shock turned into a communication crisis that exposed how words can either shape narratives or ignite division.Here’s the problem...
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Episode 329
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18:08
From Phillies Ball Snatch to US Open Hat Grab: Outrage, Backlash, and Blowback Explained
Outrage isn’t new, but the way it plays out in 2025 feels like a full-time industry. This week, it’s Phillies fans brawling over a foul ball, a CEO swiping a signed hat at the US Open, Bruce Willis’ family facing judgment in a Diane Sawyer inte...
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Episode 328
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17:02
What Was Said at the Mic: Press Conference Analysis After the Annunciation Catholic School Shooting
A shooting inside a Minneapolis church during a back-to-school Mass left two children dead and several others injured. The Annunciation Catholic School community was shattered. The country watched. And almost immediately, public officials and s...
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Episode 327
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21:49
The First Mistake That Will Sink You in a Crisis
The Breakdown:The first move most people make in a crisis is often the one that causes the most damage. It happens when emotion outruns strategy, and the brain mistakes public pressure for personal danger. The result is impulsive ...
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Episode 326
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9:13
How Taylor Swift Turned New Heights Into a Smart PR Play
Taylor Swift didn’t just pop onto her boyfriend’s New Heights podcast for fun. She executed a masterclass in brand strategy. With over 16 million views and endless headlines, her first-ever appearance alongside Travis and Jason Kelce w...
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Episode 325
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26:22
South Park's Savage Trump Administration Takedown
This week’s PR Breakdown isn’t about a corporate crisis or a press release gone wrong. It’s about satire — and the way it forces a reaction.In the latest season of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have turned their aim on ...
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Episode 324
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14:15
The Strategic Timing of Justin Timberlake's Lyme Disease Revelation
Justin Timberlake ended his tour and dropped a bombshell on Instagram—he’s been battling Lyme disease. The post was emotional, reflective, and full of gratitude. But was it also a PR move?In this episode of The PR Breakdown, exa...
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Episode 323
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15:48
Why Gwyneth’s Viral Ad Won’t Save Astronomer
After NPR called me to weigh in on the Coldplay concert scandal and Astronomer’s new viral ad starring Gwyneth Paltrow, a listener to the time to email to call me a “fussbucket.”You know what? I’ll take it.Because here’s the thing...
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Episode 322
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20:54