Media Analysis Episodes

Are you someone who hesitates to talk about matters that matter to you because it is easier to stay quiet and avoid the backlash because you are responsible for other people's well-being? Yeah? Well, me too. I understand how it feels to be in a position of wanting to speak out when you sense there is an injustice - when something is not aligning with your core values. But caring for people who rely on you to stay stable may keep you quiet. My book, Indestructible, was written to help people u...

I love giving presentations, workshops and keynotes because I love helping people. I love giving virtual presentations because they are incredibly convenient, interactive and easy to use. What I know is that people no longer love (perhaps even despise), is sitting through virtual presentations. "Zoom" fatigue has certainly set in for most people when they have to log in to another - ugh - meeting. Although we are so close to returning to those in-person meetings, many of us still have months ...

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 wrong way. After seemingly comparing herself to Harriet Tubman among other notable and "unrelatable" women on a Tik-Tok video, Hollis faced a severe backlash online with calls for her cancelation and people calling her out for her views on a work ethic tied to a person's worth - not to mention how she...

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 for her clients, as well as examples of major brands that use social media to manage and issue or crisis. Listen for PR response tactics for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Clubhouse. Mentioned in the episode: Episode 125: Build an Indestructible Social Media Crisis Plan in 3 E...

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 opinion and a Twitter account. To get it right means you need to respond in a manner that makes it go away. Fall into this trap that so many people ensnarled in a crisis do, and you'll never survive. On this episode, the one crisis response tactic that so many people have used to get themselves out ...

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 Hayes, sets out a strategy for how executives can respond to any political or social issue without experiencing the backlash. Anthony Hayes has spent more than 15 years in communications, crisis and issue management and political and legislative campaigns. He founded The Hayes Initiative to apply his e...

The hottest social media app on the market has exploded amid growing frustration over the alleged censorship of pro-conservative posts by Facebook and Twitter. So what is Parler about and who is using it? Listen to hear everything you need to know about the social media platform and whether it is the right place for you. Listen + Subscribe Stitcher or Apple Podcasts © Molly McPherson 2020 Join Molly on Patreon for even deeper dives into celebrity PR strategies and exclusive live sessions! Fo...

An estimated 161 million Americans took the polls—either by mail or in-person—to elect a president. What happened after that was a week of division and confusion. One president-elect is declared, the other says, "Not so fast. Even in a competitive election, there was one winning strategy that struck me when it came to creating a wave of support for selling your next product, idea, or campaign: learn how to get people to mobilize and engage your product, idea, business, or movement. Learn how ...

According to my guest, there are no natural-born experts when it comes to dealing with the media. Even the legends need help speaking in front of the camera. Why is it then, that so many people who are in a position to speak with the press about positive media coverage, dealing with a contentious issue, or managing a full-blown crisis, choose not to receive the training to help them put their organization in the best light possible? Listen to this week’s guest, Warren Weeks, tell you why he is...

With the rising demand for transparency from the public, organizations and their leaders are learning the importance of interacting openly and honestly with their stakeholders. The leaders and organizations who interact openly and honestly with the media and the public, will be rewarded with trust and credibility. Similarly, those who try to mislead and deceive will find themselves in a hole filled with negative press and public opinion, from which they will find it difficult to emerge unscathed...

*Jerry Seinfeld voice* What's the deal with all these lame excuses from people??!! The last weeks of August 2020 were far from sleepy and dull. From the DNC to the RNC; from Jerry Seinfeld to Jerry Falwell, Jr. - what a week for people speaking their minds about the heated issues of the week. On the podcast, the best/worst excuses we heard from the week from people and organizations that landed in hot water. What they said and the likely strategy behind the response. Denial, shift the blame, bol...

As much of our communication nowadays shifts to remote platforms, we are having more conversations via text, email, instant message, and chat. Even if there is no personal interaction in communication, you may be exposed to deceptions and lies you may not even notice. On the episode this week, the tell-tale signs someone is lying to you when you read a text or email. Mentioned on the podcast: Episode 16 - How to Spot a Liar. © Molly McPherson 2020 Join Molly on Patreon for even deeper dives i...

The emotions are raw, the disbelieving television coverage from the protests and riots over George Floyd's death is fresh. In such a tragic and confusing time, one thing is clear - the actions from four officers from the Minneapolis Police Department created a nationwide outrage that spilled onto the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, and eventually, cities across the country. But did the department's response have a hand in adding to the violence or disorder? In today’s episode, ...

It’s official. Harry and Meghan have left the royal family to become financially independent. They can now "Chip and Joanna Gaines" their way into brand royalty, à la the likes of former presidential couples Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton. And of course, the Broadcast Queen herself - Oprah. Trust me; there is a lot of money to be made off of their new role as royal brand ambassadors to themselves. In this episode - who is winning the PR battle of public opinion and why ...

This week I’m sharing my 7 deadly sins of grammar. These are some of the mistakes you might be unknowingly making in your writing that’s causing you to lose credibility - especially online. The goal of this episode is to give you more confidence in your writing. It is, after all, one of your most valuable currencies for intelligence. Proper grammar makes for good business, helps you command respect, and creates clarity in your message. The definition of grammar is the study of the way words ar...

It's October, and all four major professional U.S. sports leagues are in full swing, making it the busiest sports month of the year. The sports industry is a very profitable one as well, which means there is a lot to learn about it from a business point of view. My guest today is Emmy-award winning supervising producer Stu Kirshenbaum, who worked over 20 years in network sports television and is now the owner and executive producer for Keystone Films. With his intimate knowledge of all things ...

This month is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. A perfect time to remind people that we live in a world increasingly reliant on technology, which makes us all vulnerable to cyberattacks. This week's guest helps companies prepare for the days they hope will never happen -- a cyberattack. Mark Hoffman discusses how phishing attacks occur and why organizations need cybersecurity plans. Mentioned in this episode: City of Baltimore Ransomware Attack Click here get his guide on the top ten anti-phishin...

Matt Lauer is having is a very bad week. This week, former MSNBC correspondent journalist Ronan Farrow released his book, Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators. The book highlights the claims of sexual misconduct claims against the former host of The Today Show and how his employer, NBC News, handled the fallout. This special edition of the podcast looks at the PR efforts made by Matt Lauer's team to blunt the bad press and to try to win back the loyalty from Laue...

No business or individual is immune to online attacks. If you want to be visible and a leader, it’s bound to happen. Groups of unsatisfied customers taking to Facebook to build a community to rise against you--warranted or not. What you need is an action plan so you can quickly respond to these online attacks professionally and appropriately. But unfortunately, too many business owners and leaders either respond defensively or don’t know enough about how social media works to protect themselves....

Sorry, but here we go again. Poor judgment turns up online, and someone now needs to apologize. School photos of a high-profile politician wearing blackface surface online before an election and the masses call for a resignation. A cast member on a popular television program is hired, then quickly fired for comments made on a podcast. Why do some people survive the PR crisis while others perish? The answer is in the apology. Today on the Confident Communications Podcast, we’re going to look at t...

Leaders want to be heard, but often leaving that message up to the news media bring stress and unease. In his new book, Gary Schneeberger hopes to reduce the acrimony toward news reporters and teach the secrets to being in control of the interview. We talk about this and more in this week’s episode of the Confident Communications Podcast. In the digital age, the news cycle has gone from 24 hours to 24 seconds (thank you, Twitter) and it’s bound to change even more as we move forward. We no longe...

The revelation that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was facing sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 left a wake of fear among many big wheels who considered Epstein - at one time or another - a friend. From Washington D.C. to Manhattan, to even (gulp) The Palace, people who have a history with Epstein needed to say something, and say it quickly. A lot of well-known people connected with him have been scrambling for the appropriate response for socializing with a convicted sex offender. This ...

In the early hours of July 17, 1999, the world watched and waited to find out the fate of America’s son, John F. Kennedy, Jr. The night before, he took off from Essex County airport in his single-engine plane carrying his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette. They were bound for Martha’s Vineyard but never arrived. I was a reporter in Cape Cod at the time and had a front-row seat to the media coverage. I was part of the media coverage. But I was also a young and co...

The thought of a call from the media, or (yikes!) a request for an interview is the stuff of nightmares for many business owners and executives. But it’s also par for the course if you want to stay ahead of the story, put out the right message and stay transparent and relevant to your audience. If you want to run and hide when you hear a reporter is on the line, or avoid speaking in public because it makes you uncomfortable, you need to take a step back and listen in to this episode of the Conf...