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
• ...

Taylor Swift didn’t just pop onto her boyfriend’s New Heights podcast for fun. She executed a masterclass in brand strategy. With over 16 million views and endless headlines, her first-ever appearance alongside Travis and Jason Kelce wasn’t casual. It was calculated.

In this episode of The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson, a look at the strategy behind the appearance. Why it mattered, what Swift accomplished, and how it ties into her broader narrative of album rollouts, relationship optics, and reputation management.

What You’ll Hear About in This Episode

• The Optics: Why Swift’s on-camera presence, couple dynamics, and emotional stories humanized her brand at just the right time.
• Message Control: How choosing New Heights over legacy media gave her total control of the conversation.
• Redirection Strategy: How this appearance quietly shifted headlines away from Blake Lively’s legal mess and back onto Swift’s album.
• Cross-Brand Boost: Why this was just as beneficial for the Kelsey brand as it was for Swift.
• The Long Game: How this single appearance sets up Taylor’s reputation, her relationship, and her album narrative for the months ahead.

Why This Episode Matters
Swift’s appearance is a case study in modern communication—blending personal storytelling, platform control, reputation management, and viral timing. It’s the kind of move every communicator, marketer, and leader should pay attention to.

The media tool I use to track stories, monitor coverage, and help clients get their message in the right hands. Click here to learn more.

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
• ...