logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
21m 23s

The 3 Questions You MUST Ask Before Spea...

www.mollymcpherson.com
About this episode

This episode of The PR Breakdown explores whether individuals and organizations should always respond to reporters' inquiries. She presents a nuanced view of media engagement, highlighting key considerations before agreeing to an interview. The episode outlines three critical questions to guide this decision.

The episode includes real-life anecdotes from Molly's work and stresses the importance of understanding the media landscape, preparing adequately, and sometimes choosing to decline media opportunities to safeguard one's brand.

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 me on Substack → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media

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.

Want more PR + Crisis Management insights?


Follow & Connect with Molly:

Up next
Aug 20
How Taylor Swift Turned New Heights Into a Smart PR Play
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 episo ... Show More
27m 5s
Aug 13
South Park's Savage Trump Administration Takedown
This week’s PR Breakdown isn’t about a corporate crisis or a press release gone wrong. It’s about satire — and the way it forces a reaction.In the latest season of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have turned their aim on the Trump administration, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, ... Show More
14m 15s
Aug 6
The Strategic Timing of Justin Timberlake's Lyme Disease Revelation
Justin Timberlake ended his tour and dropped a bombshell on Instagram—he’s been battling Lyme disease. The post was emotional, reflective, and full of gratitude. But was it also a PR move?In this episode of The PR Breakdown, examining the timing, language, and strategy behind Tim ... Show More
15m 48s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
The Insight Track with Nayla Tueni: Inside the World of Media and Politics!
💬 Join the conversation! Share your thoughts in the comments below and let us know what you think of Mais's journey.  Join our WhatsApp channel for exclusive behind-the-scenes clips and insights on upcoming shows. Be part of our community and stay updated! https://whatsapp.com/c ... Show More
59m 46s
Nov 2020
Gimlet’s Lydia Polgreen wants to shake up podcasting
Spotify is making a huge push into podcasting. Lydia Polgreen is helping to figure out what means. Gimlet’s head of content sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to talk about the experimenting she’s done since starting her new job at the beginning at the pandemic - and to share th ... Show More
45m 57s
Dec 2024
Lemon LIVE at 5 | NEWS ANCHOR: 'NEWS ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE' - December 3rd, 2024
Hey there Lemon Heads! Join Don this evening for an in depth look at the toxicity of cable news culture and its potential impact on the mental health of those involved. Don sits down with journalist, author, and news anchor Kendis Gibson to discuss his experience with the industr ... Show More
1h 27m
Dec 2019
Vice Media CEO Nancy Dubuc on the internet, TV and her famous founder
Vice Media CEO Nancy Dubuc discusses the different challenges she faced since taking charge in 2018 and how their new acquisition of the lifestyle brand Refinirey29 fits in with their strategy for the future of Vice Media. Featuring: Nancy Dubuc, CEO of Vice Media Host: Peter Ka ... Show More
30m 53s
Jan 2021
How Jessica Lessin got people to pay for The Information
In 2013, Jessica Lessin left her job as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal to start The Information, a subscription-based business publication. 7 years later, it’s thriving, and she’s more convinced than ever that her model can work for other publishers. Lessin sits down with ... Show More
41m 16s
Mar 2025
In Covid’s Wake: How our Politics Failed Us--A Conversation with Stephen Macedo (Part 2)
This week on Madison’s Notes, we continue our discussion with Stephen Macedo, co-author of In COVID’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us (Princeton UP, 2025). The book examines the institutional failures during the pandemic, including the politicization of science, inconsistent mes ... Show More
52m 57s
May 2023
Meet the media insider who makes Succession feel real
Succession — the HBO drama about a Murdoch-ish family of media moguls — feels authentic thanks, in part, to consultant Merissa Marr. Marr covered the Murdochs and other media titans for years at The Wall Street Journal, and she’s worked with the creative team behind Succession si ... Show More
32m 8s
Sep 2024
MARK ROBINSON: "I'M A BLACK N*ZI" - September 19th, 2024
Hey there Lemon Heads! Join Don this evening to dive into all the biggest news stories of the day. Tonight, Don is joined by Host of the Empire City Podcast Chenjerai Kumanyika. They'll dive into the current state of the NYPD and discuss the potential for police reform after the ... Show More
56m 51s
Apr 2018
This is how the New York Times reports Pulitzer Prize-winning stories
New York Times reporter Emily Steel talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about the stories she and her reporting partner Michael Schmidt wrote that brought down Fox News star Bill O'Reilly — part of a series of stories on sexual harassment that netted the Times and the New Yorker a Pu ... Show More
55m 3s