May 23, 2023
242: Home Run for a Press Statement: LA Dodgers Welcome Back LGBTQ+ Group for Pride Night
On this episode of Indestructible PR Podcast with Molly McPherson, the focus is on the challenge of regaining a lost reputation after a crisis. Molly discusses the importance of acknowledging mistakes and taking steps to prevent recurrence, highlighting the recent statement by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an example of a strong PR crisis response. The discussion centers around the importance of reconciling with groups affected by the crisis, offering sincere apologies, engaging in dialogue, and showing a commitment to healing relationships and rebuilding trust. Molly also examines the impact of exclusion on different communities and the importance of considering diverse perspectives in decision-making. Ultimately, the episode offers a valuable perspective on the rebuilding of a damaged reputation and the importance of reconciliation and accountability.
Mentioned in this Episode
- The importance of reconciling with a group before reconciling with the greater community, their supporters, and all stakeholders.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers recent statement where they reversed a decision regarding the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
- The need to acknowledge feedback, offer sincere apologies, engage in dialogue, and show a commitment to healing relationships and rebuilding trust.
- The negative impact of exclusion and how it could have been avoided.
- The strong reactions people have towards various topics including narcissism, race, and discrimination.
- The emphasis on reconciliation, penance, and the need for apologies to be extended not only to the LGBTQ+ community but also to their friends and family.
- Pressure from the extreme segment of the Catholic Church, the Catholic League.
- The conflict between traditional baseball fans and the need to court younger generations and female fans.
- Feedback from diverse communities on the Dodgers' decision.
- The importance of being honest and making the effort to have sincere conversations.
Join Molly on Patreon for even deeper dives into celebrity PR strategies and exclusive live sessions!
Follow Molly for daily updates and more PR insights:
- TikTok: @mollybmcpherson
- Patreon: Patreon.com/mollymcpherson
- Connect with Molly: pillar.io/mollymcpherson
© 2024 The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson
Transcript
WEBVTT
00:00:00.089 --> 00:00:15.194
In this episode, answering the question I get asked most in interviews, whether it's a podcast interview or an interview with a reporter. When we're discussing a PR cr crisis, this is what I get. What's an example of a good public relations crisis response?
00:00:15.321 --> 00:00:26.120
And usually I'm scratching my head because there aren't a lot of good ones out there, because if they're in the middle of a crisis, most times they're just trying to get through it. They're not trying to come out better. But found my example.
00:00:26.809 --> 00:00:42.134
Los Angeles Dodgers, they recently released a statement, actually last night. So I'm recording this on May 23, and I'm releasing it today, where they did a flip flop on a decision that they made. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
00:00:42.182 --> 00:00:48.566
It's an LGBTQ plus group. They have national chapters out there. They take on the persona of nuns.
00:00:48.758 --> 00:00:55.450
They wear nun costumes, the habits. They camp it up. And they also have names like Sister.
00:00:55.609 --> 00:01:21.506
And they just do good work. They do charity work. They also perform. They're there for the mission of helping others very similar to what the mission of the Catholic Church should be in many cases. And so in that shared value system, what is sad is that one segment of the Catholic Church, the very extreme portion of it, in this case the Catholic League, led by Bill Donohue, wrote a letter, possibly pressuring MLB.
00:01:21.617 --> 00:02:02.114
Manfred the commissioner likely gave in, maybe perhaps put a lot of pressure on the Dodgers. We don't know. I don't know. This is only speculation, but we know the result of it. They were disinvited from Pride Night. Pride Night was still carried was still going to be carried on, but they were not going to be honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a Community Hero Award, which they certainly deserved. Now, let me read the first paragraph. I have a link in the show notes to the entire statement. It's a couple of paragraphs, but the first paragraph will give you a sense of what a good statement sounds like, the building block of one, the foundation of one. And then I'm going to list some of the points about why it's good. So if you have to write a statement, these are the reasons why this one is good.
00:02:02.152 --> 00:02:21.689
And you can follow this after much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence members of the LGBTQ plus community and their friends and families.
00:02:22.270 --> 00:02:32.877
That statement is a good one. One of the reasons why I loved it is just hearing that they had discussions with the group and that they used the word generous discretions. I love that.
00:02:32.963 --> 00:02:41.210
Okay. One, they acknowledge the feedback. They received a lot of negative feedback, and they were engaging in honest conversation.
00:02:41.370 --> 00:02:47.442
It highlights the fact that the Dodgers, the front office, took the time to actively listen to the group.
00:02:47.575 --> 00:03:02.593
So they got their feedback, and it was a commitment to inclusivity and also an open dialogue. Two, this really feels like a genuine apology. The statement clearly states that the Dodgers are offering sincere apologies. This is not empty.
00:03:02.722 --> 00:03:09.770
It reflects a willingness to take responsibilities for these actions, particularly who they may have harmed or offended.
00:03:10.189 --> 00:03:28.605
Three, they've recognized the group. They mentioned the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. They mentioned them twice. So they're specifically indicating that they respect the organization, that they're respecting an organization within the LGBTQ plus community, and they're showing a willingness to learn from them.
00:03:28.788 --> 00:03:35.562
They were willing to keep all the other groups out there, but they wanted to exclude one. And isn't exclusion the opposite from inclusion?
00:03:35.626 --> 00:03:49.560
So you cannot be an organization that claims to have and follow dei initiatives. You could not have a dei employee. I don't even know if they do or not. Maybe not, because everyone's laying them off nowadays, sadly, but then disinvite a group like that.
00:03:49.930 --> 00:04:04.933
Next, they were extending apologies to the greater LGBTQ plus community. Many times in a crisis, when things happen, there's a trigger for other people. It's like the unknown unsaid. We don't know what triggers people to react.
00:04:05.062 --> 00:04:11.882
A lot of people have reaction. People will have reaction to Narcissism in my previous episode. People have a reaction to race.
00:04:12.026 --> 00:04:38.286
People have a reaction to discrimination. So you don't know what makes someone truly, truly angry about something. And they were recognizing that they could have impacted people, particularly in that community, with that decision, with the invite, rescinding that invite. Also, when we see words like thoughtful, honest, sincerest apologies, we're showing remorse and sincere remorse.
00:04:38.398 --> 00:04:42.129
They want to rebuild trust, which, you know, with me is a big bugaboo.
00:04:42.209 --> 00:04:48.374
If you've lost it, it's very difficult to regain it. So they're repairing the damage by this crisis.
00:04:48.502 --> 00:05:07.790
Next, they're showing a commitment to diversity and inclusivity. So by mentioning the diverse community, the LGBTQ plus their families, it's showing a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment which would hopefully align with broader goals within the organization, but also in society.
00:05:08.209 --> 00:05:19.134
Next, there's learning, there's growth. They're admitting, like, sometimes the best apologies or statements or accounts of why something happened shows the learning, shows the growth.
00:05:19.262 --> 00:05:29.350
It suggested that they did take the time to figure out what happened and learning from it so it doesn't happen again. You're giving someone that confidence.
00:05:29.689 --> 00:05:56.990
Next, they emphasize the generous discussion by showing language like generous highlights the positive and collaborative nature that the conversations were with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. In other words, they're saying they weren't jerks about this. They didn't come down on us about this. They were open minded about it. They respected us, and they were forgiving, which is very Catholic like, wouldn't you say?
00:05:57.139 --> 00:07:22.250
Also addressing the family and friends, they extended the apologies to all the people in the LGBTQ plus community, but also their friends and family. So again, recognizing that broader impact and then the nest piece of it too, which I think is so incredibly important, and boy, do I feel this right now. Like, I am absolutely turning into this area about reconciliation. Is there any more Catholic word than that? Someone like me, I hear that, I immediately think, oh, I got to go to Penance. Have I gone to penance yet? But this statement, when you aim to reconcile with the group first and then the greater community and their supporters, but also all of the stakeholders, so you're acknowledging the feedback. You're offering sincere apologies, you're engaging in dialogue, you're showing a commitment to healing relationships and rebuilding trust. Now, the great unsaid, of course, is, well, if you didn't make the decision in the first place, we wouldn't even be here in the first place. And that's true. I was stunned by that statement. When people take me on it to talk about it on TikTok, I immediately thought, wow, this is going to raise a stink because you do not exclude a group like that. And to not even really explain why they were being excluded was so incredibly wrong for so many incredible reasons.
00:07:22.750 --> 00:07:56.637
That may have been the budweiser effect. They may have decided it's not worth the backlash. They may have thought of the traditional baseball fan, someone now who's an older generation, probably like baby boomer now, kids who grew up on Mickey Mantle, people who are kind of old time baseball. We're thinking males, we're thinking white, we're thinking people who can afford baseball tickets nowadays and pro tickets. But what they weren't looking at was the future, the future of MLB. Young people, younger generations.
00:07:56.733 --> 00:08:00.437
MLB is done if we cannot court younger people.
00:08:00.524 --> 00:08:17.579
And not to mention the female fans. I'm a huge baseball fan that doesn't really jibe with a number of female fans as well, how they feel about it. They heard a lot of feedback from people about that and a lot of females, including this one. And this is why I made a TikTok about it.
00:08:17.949 --> 00:08:27.949
So those are some statements and some ideas about what makes this a particularly good statement. And the big takeaway, they admitted it. They acknowledged what they did.
00:08:28.019 --> 00:08:31.386
And it wasn't just an empty apology, it was an apology.
00:08:31.577 --> 00:08:48.754
Admitting what was wrong, admitting how they learned, admitting that they were collaborating with the group. They brought validity back to the group, okay? Because also by disinviting them, they tarnished that group. They hit that group reputationally. So now it's their job to bring them back.
00:08:48.792 --> 00:09:13.005
And I think they did a good job doing that. Now, if you were to look on social media, if you'd go to Instagram or Reddit or TikTok, you're going to see a lot of positive commentary. Don't go to Twitter. There's a lot of hate there. And it seems like a lot of that hate comes from the bots or people that just follow a mindset that perhaps owner Elon Musk now is creating there where it's not as inclusive, let's say.
00:09:13.187 --> 00:09:20.730
All right, everyone, that's all for this week on the podcast. Thanks so much for listening. Bye for now. Oh, and go Red Sox.
00:00:00.089 --> 00:00:15.194
In this episode, answering the question I get asked most in interviews, whether it's a podcast interview or an interview with a reporter. When we're discussing a PR cr crisis, this is what I get. What's an example of a good public relations crisis response?
00:00:15.321 --> 00:00:26.120
And usually I'm scratching my head because there aren't a lot of good ones out there, because if they're in the middle of a crisis, most times they're just trying to get through it. They're not trying to come out better. But found my example.
00:00:26.809 --> 00:00:42.134
Los Angeles Dodgers, they recently released a statement, actually last night. So I'm recording this on May 23, and I'm releasing it today, where they did a flip flop on a decision that they made. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
00:00:42.182 --> 00:00:48.566
It's an LGBTQ plus group. They have national chapters out there. They take on the persona of nuns.
00:00:48.758 --> 00:00:55.450
They wear nun costumes, the habits. They camp it up. And they also have names like Sister.
00:00:55.609 --> 00:01:21.506
And they just do good work. They do charity work. They also perform. They're there for the mission of helping others very similar to what the mission of the Catholic Church should be in many cases. And so in that shared value system, what is sad is that one segment of the Catholic Church, the very extreme portion of it, in this case the Catholic League, led by Bill Donohue, wrote a letter, possibly pressuring MLB.
00:01:21.617 --> 00:02:02.114
Manfred the commissioner likely gave in, maybe perhaps put a lot of pressure on the Dodgers. We don't know. I don't know. This is only speculation, but we know the result of it. They were disinvited from Pride Night. Pride Night was still carried was still going to be carried on, but they were not going to be honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a Community Hero Award, which they certainly deserved. Now, let me read the first paragraph. I have a link in the show notes to the entire statement. It's a couple of paragraphs, but the first paragraph will give you a sense of what a good statement sounds like, the building block of one, the foundation of one. And then I'm going to list some of the points about why it's good. So if you have to write a statement, these are the reasons why this one is good.
00:02:02.152 --> 00:02:21.689
And you can follow this after much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence members of the LGBTQ plus community and their friends and families.
00:02:22.270 --> 00:02:32.877
That statement is a good one. One of the reasons why I loved it is just hearing that they had discussions with the group and that they used the word generous discretions. I love that.
00:02:32.963 --> 00:02:41.210
Okay. One, they acknowledge the feedback. They received a lot of negative feedback, and they were engaging in honest conversation.
00:02:41.370 --> 00:02:47.442
It highlights the fact that the Dodgers, the front office, took the time to actively listen to the group.
00:02:47.575 --> 00:03:02.593
So they got their feedback, and it was a commitment to inclusivity and also an open dialogue. Two, this really feels like a genuine apology. The statement clearly states that the Dodgers are offering sincere apologies. This is not empty.
00:03:02.722 --> 00:03:09.770
It reflects a willingness to take responsibilities for these actions, particularly who they may have harmed or offended.
00:03:10.189 --> 00:03:28.605
Three, they've recognized the group. They mentioned the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. They mentioned them twice. So they're specifically indicating that they respect the organization, that they're respecting an organization within the LGBTQ plus community, and they're showing a willingness to learn from them.
00:03:28.788 --> 00:03:35.562
They were willing to keep all the other groups out there, but they wanted to exclude one. And isn't exclusion the opposite from inclusion?
00:03:35.626 --> 00:03:49.560
So you cannot be an organization that claims to have and follow dei initiatives. You could not have a dei employee. I don't even know if they do or not. Maybe not, because everyone's laying them off nowadays, sadly, but then disinvite a group like that.
00:03:49.930 --> 00:04:04.933
Next, they were extending apologies to the greater LGBTQ plus community. Many times in a crisis, when things happen, there's a trigger for other people. It's like the unknown unsaid. We don't know what triggers people to react.
00:04:05.062 --> 00:04:11.882
A lot of people have reaction. People will have reaction to Narcissism in my previous episode. People have a reaction to race.
00:04:12.026 --> 00:04:38.286
People have a reaction to discrimination. So you don't know what makes someone truly, truly angry about something. And they were recognizing that they could have impacted people, particularly in that community, with that decision, with the invite, rescinding that invite. Also, when we see words like thoughtful, honest, sincerest apologies, we're showing remorse and sincere remorse.
00:04:38.398 --> 00:04:42.129
They want to rebuild trust, which, you know, with me is a big bugaboo.
00:04:42.209 --> 00:04:48.374
If you've lost it, it's very difficult to regain it. So they're repairing the damage by this crisis.
00:04:48.502 --> 00:05:07.790
Next, they're showing a commitment to diversity and inclusivity. So by mentioning the diverse community, the LGBTQ plus their families, it's showing a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment which would hopefully align with broader goals within the organization, but also in society.
00:05:08.209 --> 00:05:19.134
Next, there's learning, there's growth. They're admitting, like, sometimes the best apologies or statements or accounts of why something happened shows the learning, shows the growth.
00:05:19.262 --> 00:05:29.350
It suggested that they did take the time to figure out what happened and learning from it so it doesn't happen again. You're giving someone that confidence.
00:05:29.689 --> 00:05:56.990
Next, they emphasize the generous discussion by showing language like generous highlights the positive and collaborative nature that the conversations were with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. In other words, they're saying they weren't jerks about this. They didn't come down on us about this. They were open minded about it. They respected us, and they were forgiving, which is very Catholic like, wouldn't you say?
00:05:57.139 --> 00:07:22.250
Also addressing the family and friends, they extended the apologies to all the people in the LGBTQ plus community, but also their friends and family. So again, recognizing that broader impact and then the nest piece of it too, which I think is so incredibly important, and boy, do I feel this right now. Like, I am absolutely turning into this area about reconciliation. Is there any more Catholic word than that? Someone like me, I hear that, I immediately think, oh, I got to go to Penance. Have I gone to penance yet? But this statement, when you aim to reconcile with the group first and then the greater community and their supporters, but also all of the stakeholders, so you're acknowledging the feedback. You're offering sincere apologies, you're engaging in dialogue, you're showing a commitment to healing relationships and rebuilding trust. Now, the great unsaid, of course, is, well, if you didn't make the decision in the first place, we wouldn't even be here in the first place. And that's true. I was stunned by that statement. When people take me on it to talk about it on TikTok, I immediately thought, wow, this is going to raise a stink because you do not exclude a group like that. And to not even really explain why they were being excluded was so incredibly wrong for so many incredible reasons.
00:07:22.750 --> 00:07:56.637
That may have been the budweiser effect. They may have decided it's not worth the backlash. They may have thought of the traditional baseball fan, someone now who's an older generation, probably like baby boomer now, kids who grew up on Mickey Mantle, people who are kind of old time baseball. We're thinking males, we're thinking white, we're thinking people who can afford baseball tickets nowadays and pro tickets. But what they weren't looking at was the future, the future of MLB. Young people, younger generations.
00:07:56.733 --> 00:08:00.437
MLB is done if we cannot court younger people.
00:08:00.524 --> 00:08:17.579
And not to mention the female fans. I'm a huge baseball fan that doesn't really jibe with a number of female fans as well, how they feel about it. They heard a lot of feedback from people about that and a lot of females, including this one. And this is why I made a TikTok about it.
00:08:17.949 --> 00:08:27.949
So those are some statements and some ideas about what makes this a particularly good statement. And the big takeaway, they admitted it. They acknowledged what they did.
00:08:28.019 --> 00:08:31.386
And it wasn't just an empty apology, it was an apology.
00:08:31.577 --> 00:08:48.754
Admitting what was wrong, admitting how they learned, admitting that they were collaborating with the group. They brought validity back to the group, okay? Because also by disinviting them, they tarnished that group. They hit that group reputationally. So now it's their job to bring them back.
00:08:48.792 --> 00:09:13.005
And I think they did a good job doing that. Now, if you were to look on social media, if you'd go to Instagram or Reddit or TikTok, you're going to see a lot of positive commentary. Don't go to Twitter. There's a lot of hate there. And it seems like a lot of that hate comes from the bots or people that just follow a mindset that perhaps owner Elon Musk now is creating there where it's not as inclusive, let's say.
00:09:13.187 --> 00:09:20.730
All right, everyone, that's all for this week on the podcast. Thanks so much for listening. Bye for now. Oh, and go Red Sox.