115: The ONE Word That Will Stop a Crisis Dead in its Tracks

2021-01-05

After Hilaria (ahem, Hillary) Baldwin became the subject of a huge, trending news story during one of the slowest news weeks of the year—she and husband Alec needed a solid response plan. One course of action, of course, would be to admit that she has misrepresented herself over the past decade by faking a Spanish accent, and then take an extended break from Instagram. The other—fight back.Turns out the latter choice blew up the story. This episode is a case study for what the Baldwins should have done to avoid ...

After Hilaria (ahem, Hillary) Baldwin became the subject of a huge, trending news story during one of the slowest news weeks of the year—she and husband Alec needed a solid response plan.

One course of action, of course, would be to admit that she has misrepresented herself over the past decade by faking a Spanish accent, and then take an extended break from Instagram.

The other—fight back.

Turns out the latter choice blew up the story.

This episode is a case study for what the Baldwins should have done to avoid the crisis.

Learn a code for staying ahead of a crisis and the one word that will stop it dead in its tracks.

Heard on this episode:

The Hilaria Baldwin Story: 'I'm Living My Life' (New York Times, Dec. 30, 2020)

How to Admit Your Mistakes: The Ellen DeGeneres Apology (Episode 101)

If you work in strategy or communication, join Molly on December 17 at 12 PM ET for a 60-minute live media training that breaks down a crisis in real time. RFK Jr is being hit from two sides at once. Now Olivia Nuzzi’s memoir is out, weeks after Tatiana Schlossberg’s essay landed a punch. We'll walk through the headlines, the data, the sentiment, press coverage, then map out what a competent response would actually look like. Click here to attend.

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.

Follow Molly on Substack
Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter
Subscribe to Molly's Live Events Calendar.

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.

Follow & Connect with Molly: