The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson pulls back the curtain on the PR moves driving today's biggest stories. Join Molly each week as she decodes the strategy behind the headlines, revealing the hidden tactics at play. With her insider perspective, you’ll learn why these PR moves matter, who’s calli...

Recent Episodes

May 21, 2025

The Reputation Cliff: Why Some Celebrities Never Recover: Featuring the Sean Combs Trial and My NBC News Interview

This episode examines the sharp edge of celebrity scandal and why some reputations teeter over the cliff while others, against the odds, manage a comeback. With Sean Combs (Diddy) serving as the case study, this episode revea...
May 14, 2025

What No One Tells New Grads About Crisis Communication (And Life)

Last week, my daughter graduated from Loyola University Chicago. After years of watching her build a life—on the field, on the sidelines, in the center of the action—she’s stepping into the real world. And like so many gradua...
May 7, 2025

Bill Belichick’s Girlfriend Has Main Character Energy and It’s Breaking His Brand

Bill Belichick has always been a master of control—on the field, in the press, and with his own narrative. But this episode examines how that carefully crafted reputation is unraveling, not because of a fumbled statement, but due to the outsize influence of his much-younger girlfriend, Jordan Hudso…
April 30, 2025

When Silence Backfires: Belichick, Blake & the Draft Day Meltdown

A football legend avoids the one question everyone’s asking. A Hollywood power couple frames advocacy through a lens that feels just a little too curated. And a trusted draft analyst unravels on-air when his favorite prospect...
April 22, 2025

How Harvard Said No—and Made It Stick

This episode examines Harvard University’s April 2025 letter rejecting sweeping demands from the Trump administration—an act of resistance that was principled, measured, and strategically precise. The statement didn’t chase h...
April 16, 2025

Houston, We Have a PR Problem (And the Delicate Art of Proving You're Right)

A rocket full of high-profile women launched into space, but the real spectacle might’ve been the PR machine that sent it there. From Katy Perry floating with daisies to Oprah crying on the ground, every moment of Blue Origin...