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 interview, and American Eagle cashing in on controversy with its headline-grabbing campaign.

Here’s the problem: every headline slaps the same word on these stories—backlash. But backlash and blowback aren’t the same thing. If you don’t know the difference, you’re missing the real story.

In this episode, I break down:

• The Phillies “Ball Snatch” dad who turned a viral mess into a lesson in staying calm.
• The US Open “Hat Grab” CEO who folded fast—and why it saved his business.
• Bruce Willis’ family’s media strategy, turning online judgment into strategic storytelling.
• American Eagle’s outrage marketing proves that some brands script backlash into their budget.
• Why the age of the public apology is over—and what leaders are doing instead.

The September takeaway? Backlash reveals character. Blowback reveals strategy. And knowing which one you’re seeing could be the difference between chaos and control.

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.

Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
Click here to subscribe to Molly's live events.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.

This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.

Follow & Connect with Molly:

• https://www.youtube.com/mollymcpherson
• ...

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 school leaders stood in front of microphones, tasked with speaking into heartbreak.

In this episode, examining what was said—and how it was said—during the press conferences that followed.

Joining the conversation with Molly is Greg Floyd, evening anchor and investigative reporter at WRGB-TV in Albany. A six-time Emmy winner with multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, Greg brings deep experience in live coverage, newsroom leadership, and the complexity of reporting local stories with national weight.

Together, we break down the structure, tone, and delivery of each speaker—from elected officials to faith leaders—and explore what communicators can learn from how these moments were handled.

What We Cover:

• The context behind the headlines: children, a church, and the first week of school
• Mayor Jacob Frey’s restrained approach, and why one line (“These children were praying”) shaped the narrative
• Police Chief Brian O’Hara’s directness, structure, and use of the repeated-question technique
• Principal Matt DeBoer’s calm, clarity, and emotional authority—including a powerful reflection on older students protecting younger ones
• The possible public misstep by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, and the risk of correcting others in a crisis moment
• How local media elevated the story’s tone, and why Twin Cities press markets matter in national perception
• The visual language of crisis: from rolled-up sleeves to school-branded t-shirts
• Why the absence of scripts—and the presence of emotion—can carry more weight than any prepared statement

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.

Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
Click here to subscribe to Molly's live events.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.

This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.

Follow & Connect with Molly:

• https://www.youtube.com/mollymcpherson
• ...

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 action, usually in the form of a rushed post, a scrambled statement, or a desperate attempt to make the backlash go away. But the real problem isn’t public. It’s neurological.

This episode explains why the body’s threat response takes over during high-stakes moments, and how that hijack shuts down the very part of the brain responsible for leadership, regulation, and long-term thinking. It’s not about judgment. It’s about biology.

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.

Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
Click here to subscribe to Molly's live events.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.

This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.

Follow & Connect with Molly:

• https://www.youtube.com/mollymcpherson
• ...