The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson
www.mollymcpherson.com
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About This Podcast
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.
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Recent Episodes
The New Orleans Five and the ADA's Worst Week
Five scientists were escorted out of a diabetes conference by police for handing out a scientific paper — published in the host's own journal. By the time the American Diabetes Association finished…
How Scott Pelley Turned His Firing into a Reputational Win
A 37-year 60 Minutes correspondent got fired in a conference room over a dinner he refused to attend. Scott Pelley lost his job and won the PR war in the same week, and the side that was supposed to…
How Amy Gertner's 20-Take Video Out-Performed Graham Platner's Own Response
When a Senate campaign gets hit with a sexting scandal, the spouse is supposed to disappear. Amy Gertner grabbed her phone, walked into a cloud of Maine blackflies, and recorded the most effective…
Damage Control: The Vanishing of Tom Kean Jr.
A New Jersey congressman has been missing for 77 days. His office keeps posting like he's at his desk. His father is fielding press calls. And almost no one is talking about it.Tom Kean Jr. hasn't…
The Blake Lively PR Disaster No One Is Talking About
When a celebrity files a lawsuit citing harassment and a hostile work environment, her PR team is supposed to make her the sympathetic figure. Blake Lively's team did the opposite.Everyone is…
Why Mike Vrabel Is Lying, Why Dolly Parton Isn't, and What Blake Lively's Settlement Reveals
What do a Patriots head coach, a country legend, and a Hollywood power couple have in common? They all just gave us a master class in what trust actually is. Or isn't. The thread connecting this…
The Deflection Trap. What Trump's 60 Minutes Interview Really Told Us
When a presidential interview goes off the rails, it is rarely an accident. It is a pattern.A man tried to kill the president on Saturday. By Tuesday, the dominant news story was a court filing about…
The First Move Is Always the Tell: Kash Patel and Mike Vrabel
When a leader is under pressure, the first move tells you everything. Kash Patel sued The Atlantic for $275 million. Mike Vrabel called it a "private and personal matter." Both responses were…
The First Move Always Reveals the Intent: Eric Swalwell and the Anatomy of a Trust Collapse
When serious allegations land, a public figure's opening move is supposed to signal steadiness, accountability, and command of the facts. Eric Swalwell's first move did the opposite. Within hours, he…
Melania's Televised Statement: Crisis or Exit Plan?
Melania Trump didn't walk to that podium to defend herself. She walked there to distance herself. From Epstein. From the male executives around her. And quietly, unmistakably, from her husband.This…
March Madness Coaches Went Viral for All the Wrong Reasons
Two coaches. Two losses. Two press conferences. Same signal. Villanova's Kevin Willard threatened to fire his staff on live television, doubled down in the post-game press conference, then called it…
AI Already Wrote Your Crisis Story. You Just Don't Know It Yet
Your reputation isn't being shaped by what you say anymore. It's being shaped by everything everyone else says, organized by AI, before you've had a chance to respond. Crisis communication has a new…
Oprah Interviews Kristin Cabot, and "The Bachelorette": The Trust Collapse Behind Every Viral Scandal
What actually breaks first in a scandal?Not the headline. Not the viral clip. Not the backlash. It's trust.In this episode, Molly McPherson breaks down three stories where trust was fractured long…
The Hidden Moment a Crisis Really Begins
Molly McPherson opens this episode not with a scandal, but with a pair of pants. It’s a disarming entry point into a much bigger question: what happens to trust when an expert starts to monetize?…
What Love Story Gets Wrong About Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and Daryl Hannah
Episode SummaryWhen Ryan Murphy's Love Story dropped in 2026, it didn't just revive a 25-year-old story; it rewrote the reputation of two women for a streaming audience of millions. Molly McPherson…
Kristi Noem Hearing: Why Dodging a Yes-or-No Question Is Always the Wrong Move
Kristi Noem sat before a congressional committee and was asked a yes-or-no question. She talked for four minutes without saying yes or no. That non-answer told us everything we needed to know — not…
Prince Andrew Is Arrested — And the Palace Isn't Coming to Save Him
Prince Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released hours later, but this investigation is far from over. Today I'm breaking down what…
Nancy Guthrie Breakdown: When the Sheriff Became the Story
Thirteen days into a missing persons case that has captivated national media, the story isn't the search anymore—it's the searchers. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has turned a crisis investigation…
What Went Wrong at the Nancy Guthrie Press Conference
When law enforcement calls a press conference, they're supposed to provide clarity and control the narrative. Last week's Pima County Sheriff's press conference about missing 84-year-old Nancy…
The Epstein Emails: Why Peter Attia's Response Failed
Breaking down Peter Attia’s public PR response after his name appears more than 1,700 times in recently released Epstein-related documents. The documents include emails and calendar references tying…
Frequently Asked Questions
The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson has published 378 episodes since November 2018, covering topics in Business, News.
The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 27m.
