January 15, 2025 • 21 mins
The episode examines the mismanagement of communication during the recent LA wildfires, focusing on Mayor Karen Bass's absence during the crisis and the subsequent erosion of public trust. Key lessons in crisis communication emphasize the need for transparency, empathy, and accountability from leaders facing critical situations.
• Analysis of Mayor Bass's timeline during the wildfires
• Discussion on the impact of her international travel
• Examination of communication failures and trust erosion
• Connection made between budget cuts and fire response
• Overview of public reactions and online petitions for resignation
• Key lessons for leaders in crisis communication
• Importance of empathy and transparency in restoring trust
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
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:
- https://www.youtube.com/mollymcpherson
- https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcpherson
- https://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollymcpherson/
© 2025 The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Molly McPherson (00:05):
Southern California is no stranger to
wildfires, but last week'sinfernos in Los Angeles were a
wake-up call.
Thousands of homes destroyed,families displaced, a beloved
landscape reduced to ash, liveslost and at the center of this
fiery storm, leadership meltdown.
Let's break down the timelineof the crisis and why Mayor
(00:29):
Karen Bass is facing sharpcriticism for her handling of it
this week.
On the PR Breakdown, la MayorKaren Bass gives every leader a
lesson in how ineffectivecommunication creates
ineffective leadership.
This isn't just about onepolitician's travel plans.
It's a stark lesson in crisiscommunication and how quickly
(00:49):
trust can erode when those incharge fail to connect with the
people they serve.
Now let's set the timeline.
January 4th the National WeatherService issues a fire weather
Watch warning of critical fireconditions due to strong Santa
Ana winds and dry brush.
(01:11):
On the same day, mayor Basstravels to Ghana as part of a US
delegation to attend theinauguration of the country's
new president.
January 5th Weather weatherwatches upgrade to warnings.
January 6th National WeatherService warns of quote
particularly dangerous situationend quote due to extreme fire
(01:35):
risk.
According to reports, bass waswarned about the Santa Ana winds
and was advised to stay in thecity for the potential emergency
.
However, she instead carried onwith her plans to travel to
Ghana.
January 7th, several wildfireserupt Palisades and the Eton
fires.
Also on January 7th, bassdeclares a state of emergency
(01:59):
From Ghana.
January 8th, 24 hours later,bass returns to LA and surveys
the fire damage with GovernorGavin Newsom.
January 9th.
The numbers Palisades fireburns over 23,000 acres.
Eaton fire burns over 14,000acres.
(02:20):
Now, of all the luck, mayorKaren Bass out of the country
when the disaster hits.
That left a void in leadershipjust when Angeleno's needed it
most.
So let's dissect her handlingof the LA wildfires via
communications, to understandhow even well-intentioned
(02:40):
leaders can make criticalmistakes in moments of crisis.
And, more importantly, I'll layout a roadmap for effective
crisis communication.
It's important to remember thatwhen a disaster strikes, clear,
honest, empatheticcommunication isn't just good PR
.
It can be the differencebetween chaos and a coordinated,
effective response.
(03:00):
Now here's why Bass lost trustwith stakeholders during this
crisis.
Number one was her absence, theinternational travel during
emergency.
It reminded me of SouthCarolina Governor I'm pulling
this from the top of my headMark Sanford.
I don't know the year, butseveral years ago when he was
(03:24):
called out married, mark Sanfordwas called out for going to
Argentina.
Do you remember that, and itturns out he was with his
girlfriend, but he said he wasbackpacking by himself, while
his wife stayed at their home onSullivan's Island in South
Carolina with her kids and shehad no idea what was going on.
But then everybody found outwhat was going on.
Something else that just poppedin my head it also reminds me,
(03:46):
probably closer aligned withthis is when the governor of
Texas, greg Abbott, was out oftown.
He was in China, I believe, ona trade mission, when a Category
1 hurricane barreled into Texas.
Well, it didn't even barrelinto Houston, it was a Category
1.
The CEO of Centerpoint Energydid a horrible job trying to
(04:10):
explain why there wasn't anypower in Texas.
That crisis for Governor Abbottabsolutely coincides, it links
with this one, and thedifference is Governor Abbott
fought back, and that was duringa time where he was having a
pissing match with PresidentBiden, who was coming off those
horrible debates.
So it became political.
(04:31):
But this is very similar whenBass was out of town and, unlike
Abbott fighting back to deflectfrom the fact she was out of
town, mayor Bass froze in themoment of her crisis.
Now it is worth noting thatBass did declare a state of
emergency from Ghana, but theoptics of her being away were
(04:53):
terrible.
Her return was met with angerand calls for her resignation,
and Bass did what leaders oftendo defended her actions.
She claimed that she had beenin constant contact with
officials, that she had takenquote the fastest route back
(05:13):
quote to Los Angeles.
But the damage was clearly done.
Now I'm going to play the videothat put the mayor deep, deep
into a crisis hole.
Now you are only listening tothis podcast and trust me when I
say watching it is far morepainful.
I mentioned that I talk aboutGovernor Abbott and the
Centerpoint Energy's response inone of my keynotes.
(05:34):
I am now adding this video tomy keynote.
So here's I'll just insert itlike a quick add in.
Here have annual meetings,leadership, annual meetings, and
you want me to speak aboutbreakdown and leadership and how
to build up from that, how tocome back when the critics are
overtaking.
You can reach out to me I havea link in the show notes, but
(05:55):
this video is going into thatkeynote.
The sound of this news clip is areporter asking the mayor about
her trip.
I'll give you the visual in onesentence Deer in headlights.
So she's departing the planeand you know how the jet bridge
comes up to planes.
Typically you would walk thejet bridge to go into the
(06:18):
airport, but as an officialshe's going to step onto the jet
bridge and then she's going togo straight out that door where
the luggage typically goes whenyou're boarding a plane, and the
jet bridge operators are takingall the luggage off.
So she's waiting for that doorto open, but you need a jet
bridge operator to open the door, so she is just standing there
(06:40):
in silence.
Take a listen.
Reporter (06:43):
Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while
their homes were burning?
Do you regret cutting the firedepartment budget by millions of
dollars?
Madam Mayor, have you nothingto say today?
Have you absolutely?
nothing to say to the citizenstoday?
Elon Musk says that you'reutterly incompetent.
(07:04):
Are you considering yourposition, madam Mayor?
Have you absolutely nothing tosay to the citizens today who
are dealing with this disaster?
No apology for them.
Do you think you should havebeen visiting Ghana while this
(07:27):
was unfolding back home?
Madam Mayor, let me ask youjust again have you anything to
(07:59):
say to the citizens today as youreturn?
No, no, no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Madam hold on one second as you return.
Reporter (08:09):
Madam Mayor, just a few words for the citizens today
as you return to deal with thecatastrophe.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Can you take this down?
Molly McPherson (08:20):
No comment is a reputation death sentence.
I could end the episode righthere.
Comment is a reputation deathsentence.
I could end the episode righthere.
Bass had over 7,000 miles onthat plane, flying back from
Ghana to LAX, to come up with astate from the jetway.
She had to have staffers onthat plane with her.
She had her jacket, so clearlyshe must have known, or a
(08:41):
staffer said, uh, Madam Mayor,here's your jacket to put on
when you come off the flight.
Like she knew she was going tobe photographed.
You would have to know thequestions were going to be there
as well.
Now, one of the reasons why shelikely was silenced is because,
since this crisis happened andthis is what happens in a crisis
people start digging.
There was a 2021 interview withthe New York Times that
(09:05):
resurfaced, in which she saidquote if I win the election, not
only would I, of course, livehere, but I also would not
travel internationally.
The only places I would gowould be DC, Sacramento, San
Francisco and New York.
In relation to LA end quote.
And the trip to Ghana.
That was her fifthinternational trip Her fifth.
(09:26):
She clearly wasn't expectingthe ambush on the jet bridge,
but how could you not, With allthe criticism mounting on Bass
from the trip to Ghana, thingswent from bad to worse.
Now, typically in a crisis,leaders will already have some
fault lines that will contributeto the erosion of trust For
(09:46):
Bass.
In 2024, she had slashed the LAfire department's the LAFD's
budget by $17.5 million.
So, of course, critics come outand they started arguing that
these cuts hampered the city'sfire response.
And then people on social mediachime in with their public
opinion.
Critics at the time warned thatthe city would not be able to
(10:07):
afford these types of contractsbecause they would make for
significant budget cuts to basicservices like the fire
department.
So the timing of the budgetcuts added to that erosion.
Number three the credibility isclearly in question.
The criticism has started.
She's on the trip, she's goneback on her word.
(10:30):
The policies contributed to thechaos of the lack of water in
the fire hydrants to fight theblazes, and they're going to say
it's the decision that she cutthe LAFD's funds.
So now Bass is in a positionwhere she has to defend these
(10:50):
reductions.
Now, does it mean she made amistake in these reductions?
Well, that's up for the peoplein Los Angeles to determine.
However, leaders are allowed tomake their decisions, even if
they're unpopular decisions.
You just have to specify why itwas made.
Sometimes decisions are toughdecisions.
That's the type of languagethat leaders should put out
(11:13):
there when they are dealing withthis type of issue in the
throes of a crisis.
Also, the luck, she had someonewho was directly contradicting
her and was a member of her team, and that is the LAFD chief,
Kristen Crowley.
She was not afraid to go oncamera and speak about what the
(11:36):
cuts did.
Reporter (11:38):
Did the city of Los Angeles fail you and your
department and our city and ourcity?
It's my job to stand up as achief and exactly say,
justifiably, what the firedepartment needs to operate to
meet the demands of thecommunity.
Did they fail you?
That is our job and I tell youthat's why I'm here.
So let's get us what we need soour firefighters can do their
(11:58):
jobs.
Did they fail you?
Yes, Ouch.
Molly McPherson (12:03):
When you have your fire chief directly
contradicting you, that iscreating a firestorm within the
firestorm.
That was bold leadership on thefire chief's part to do that.
Put her job at great risk.
This is the point.
The critics come out and thecritics are vocal.
They're talking to reporters,they're on social media.
(12:26):
The criticism mixes with publicopinion.
And where do we get publicopinion?
Of course, on social media.
Then you get celebritieschiming in like a Kardashian.
Of course Khloe says onInstagram quote I stand by you,
chief Crowley, four bangers,mayor Bass, you are a joke.
(12:46):
Four bangers.
That type of criticism itdoesn't matter if it's from a
Kardashian.
That type of criticism startingwith the letter K matters
because the Kardashians havefollowers.
The press is going to pull anytype of commentary by
celebrities.
It just adds to the criticismand it erodes the trust.
(13:07):
With the erosion in trust comesthe retaliation.
Erosion in trust comes theretaliation.
That's when people, the public,they start to stand up and they
demand justice.
At the time, there was an onlinepetition.
At the time of this recording,there are over 134,000 names
calling for the resignation ofthe mayor.
(13:29):
I often get asked in thesesituations do these petitions
work?
Well, boards don't determine tofire leaders, and people don't
get fired directly because of apetition.
My goodness, could you imagineif that would be the reason?
However, it's a metric that thepress can use and put in their
stories.
It's a scientific measurement.
(13:51):
If there are over 134,000verified names, now we have
verified evidence that at least134,000 people want this woman
gone.
Next, broken promises, brokenleadership.
The criticism of the mayor andher response to the wildfires
(14:14):
continued to grow.
The broken promise of statingshe was not going to travel, the
potential broken promises withthe LA Fire Department that the
chief was calling her out for.
Broken promises in leadershipalso can be a death knell to
leadership.
Next, it's deflectingresponsibility, instead of
(14:38):
acknowledging the public'sconcerns about her absence or
the impact of her budget cuts.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Can you address the criticism now over the budget
issue and the slashing $17million slashing of the budget,
you know, I think if you go backand look at the reductions that
were made, there were noreductions that were made that
would have impacted thesituation that we were dealing
with over the last couple ofdays.
And then there was a little bitof confusion because money was
(15:10):
allocated to be distributedlater on, which was actually
going to support salaries andother parts of the fire
department that were distributeda little later.
Molly McPherson (15:21):
In defense of Mayor Bass and anyone else
standing before a pressconference.
I used to do press conferencetraining for officials when I
was at FEMA.
It's important to have opticsmatch your words, because people
watch press conferences.
They don't necessarily justlisten to them, they watch them
(15:41):
while listening to them.
So if your words are discordantwith the optics, people are
going to defer to the optics.
So if I'm going to speak abouther fault lines, I have to speak
about why she is at adisadvantage right out the gate.
Next number six a lack ofempathy.
Her initial statements lack theemotional resonance needed to
(16:05):
connect with a community reelingfrom a disaster.
Her emphasis on resistingefforts to pull us apart and
being more focused on politicalunity than acknowledging the
real pain and loss faced byAngelenos people in the area.
That lack of empathy can alsoerode trust.
(16:27):
So now let's focus on the keylessons in crisis communication.
What could Bass have donedifferently?
These are the key takeaways foranyone in a position of
leadership when a crisis hits.
Number one show executivepresence.
Females people identifying asfemales minority.
(16:47):
Anyone who's not an experiencedwhite male behind a microphone
has a disadvantage.
That's why you have to find theways to show more executive
presence where you can.
Two you have to take ownership,and that means you have to name
the criticism.
If people are calling you outfor a fault line and it's true
(17:11):
you have to address it.
She should have addressed thefact that she was out of the
country, even if people weregoing to blame her and still
come at her for doing it.
She needs to go on the recordand explain why.
Instead, she was a deer inheadlights that is going to
follow her straight into theelection.
She prioritized the protectionof her name over the reasons why
(17:32):
she chose to go to Ghana duringthe middle of growing crisis.
Three be present Literallyimpossible.
That means be on the ground, bevisible, be engaged.
So she's already broken apromise by traveling out of town
, but she's going to apresidential inauguration.
Let's say that's already out inthe press and people are
already talking.
She could use that as a talkingpoint.
(17:54):
I was at the airport headingout.
That's true, I was heading outfor an inauguration, but then I
was keeping up to date on thepotential of a crisis and I
pulled back and we came back tothe city so I could help prepare
in case something happened andsomething happened, and that's
why.
I'm here.
Next, you have to acknowledgeconcerns.
Address the elephant in theroom directly.
(18:15):
She should have acknowledgedthem head on.
A simple, heartfelt statementexpressing regret for the timing
, emphasizing her immediatefocus on the crisis, could have
gone a long, long way indampening that storyline.
Next, it's just showing empathy.
This is not a time for scriptedtalking points.
(18:35):
People need to see and hearthat their leaders understand
and share their pain.
Use clear, direct language.
Acknowledge the impact of thecrisis on individuals.
Bass could have done so muchmore to express genuine sorrow
for those who lost loved ones,their homes, their livelihoods.
Understandable that, as a leader, you don't want to go off
message In this environment.
(18:57):
Critics will bury you, so youwant to make sure that you're on
message.
However, it is very difficultto go off message when you're
talking about compassion.
How difficult is it to be amayor and say that you are
hurting?
You were just driving aroundLos Angeles.
Talk about what you saw, talkabout the pain, talk about how
it makes you feel.
(19:18):
I am thickened by what happenedDriving around Los Angeles,
getting out, talking to thevictims, talking to the
firefighters.
Our city is in ruins.
Okay, I just pulled a quotefrom Bruce Springsteen, but it's
not that difficult to do.
Next, be transparent.
Be accountable.
Don't shy away from difficultquestions.
(19:39):
Bass's attempts to downplay theLAFD budget cuts and defer
accountability only made herappear defensive and
untrustworthy.
A more effective approach is toacknowledge the budget
realities, explain the difficultdecisions that were made and
pledge a thorough review of thecity's fire preparedness after
the crisis.
Don't say you're examiningeverything after the crisis,
(20:02):
because there are things thatyou can examine right there on
the spot.
But going through a budget,going through those decisions,
the public, the press, theyshould understand.
Now's not the time for me to doaccounting.
I'll get to that, we'll talkabout it, but right now my focus
is on the city and theAngelenos who are suffering from
this fire.
Finally, the focus should be onsolutions Own it, explain it,
(20:24):
promise it.
People want to see theirleaders taking action.
She could have used her platformto highlight the specific steps
being taken to fight the fire,support evacuees and address the
immediate needs of thoseaffected.
She did this much, much later.
Those could have been hertalking points as she was
standing on that jetway like adeer in headlights.
(20:45):
The bottom line Bass is goingto have a lot of difficulty in a
reelection if she chooses torun again, she has lost the
trust of stakeholders.
She was literally backed into acorner.
For all leaders, if you do nothave the trust of stakeholders,
then you are backed into acorner.
(21:07):
These LA wildfires highlight acritical truth Managing a crisis
isn't just about handling theevent.
It's about maintaining trust.
Effective leaders communicateclearly, empathize deeply and
take accountability.
Did you enjoy this background?
Well then, I encourage you tosubscribe, leave a review and
(21:31):
share with your network offellow communicators and anyone
else who's listening to thispodcast your network of fellow
communicators and anyone elsewho's listening to this podcast.
So follow me on social mediafor more insights into PR
strategies and crisiscommunication.
It could come from celebrities,it could come from leaders, but
I promise you it's always goingto be ripped from the headlines
.
Thanks for listening.
Come back for next week's bigstory.
Bye for now.
Southern California is no stranger to
wildfires, but last week'sinfernos in Los Angeles were a
wake-up call.
Thousands of homes destroyed,families displaced, a beloved
landscape reduced to ash, liveslost and at the center of this
fiery storm, leadership meltdown.
Let's break down the timelineof the crisis and why Mayor
(00:29):
Karen Bass is facing sharpcriticism for her handling of it
this week.
On the PR Breakdown, la MayorKaren Bass gives every leader a
lesson in how ineffectivecommunication creates
ineffective leadership.
This isn't just about onepolitician's travel plans.
It's a stark lesson in crisiscommunication and how quickly
(00:49):
trust can erode when those incharge fail to connect with the
people they serve.
Now let's set the timeline.
January 4th the National WeatherService issues a fire weather
Watch warning of critical fireconditions due to strong Santa
Ana winds and dry brush.
(01:11):
On the same day, mayor Basstravels to Ghana as part of a US
delegation to attend theinauguration of the country's
new president.
January 5th Weather weatherwatches upgrade to warnings.
January 6th National WeatherService warns of quote
particularly dangerous situationend quote due to extreme fire
(01:35):
risk.
According to reports, bass waswarned about the Santa Ana winds
and was advised to stay in thecity for the potential emergency
.
However, she instead carried onwith her plans to travel to
Ghana.
January 7th, several wildfireserupt Palisades and the Eton
fires.
Also on January 7th, bassdeclares a state of emergency
(01:59):
From Ghana.
January 8th, 24 hours later,bass returns to LA and surveys
the fire damage with GovernorGavin Newsom.
January 9th.
The numbers Palisades fireburns over 23,000 acres.
Eaton fire burns over 14,000acres.
(02:20):
Now, of all the luck, mayorKaren Bass out of the country
when the disaster hits.
That left a void in leadershipjust when Angeleno's needed it
most.
So let's dissect her handlingof the LA wildfires via
communications, to understandhow even well-intentioned
(02:40):
leaders can make criticalmistakes in moments of crisis.
And, more importantly, I'll layout a roadmap for effective
crisis communication.
It's important to remember thatwhen a disaster strikes, clear,
honest, empatheticcommunication isn't just good PR
.
It can be the differencebetween chaos and a coordinated,
effective response.
(03:00):
Now here's why Bass lost trustwith stakeholders during this
crisis.
Number one was her absence, theinternational travel during
emergency.
It reminded me of SouthCarolina Governor I'm pulling
this from the top of my headMark Sanford.
I don't know the year, butseveral years ago when he was
(03:24):
called out married, mark Sanfordwas called out for going to
Argentina.
Do you remember that, and itturns out he was with his
girlfriend, but he said he wasbackpacking by himself, while
his wife stayed at their home onSullivan's Island in South
Carolina with her kids and shehad no idea what was going on.
But then everybody found outwhat was going on.
Something else that just poppedin my head it also reminds me,
(03:46):
probably closer aligned withthis is when the governor of
Texas, greg Abbott, was out oftown.
He was in China, I believe, ona trade mission, when a Category
1 hurricane barreled into Texas.
Well, it didn't even barrelinto Houston, it was a Category
1.
The CEO of Centerpoint Energydid a horrible job trying to
(04:10):
explain why there wasn't anypower in Texas.
That crisis for Governor Abbottabsolutely coincides, it links
with this one, and thedifference is Governor Abbott
fought back, and that was duringa time where he was having a
pissing match with PresidentBiden, who was coming off those
horrible debates.
So it became political.
(04:31):
But this is very similar whenBass was out of town and, unlike
Abbott fighting back to deflectfrom the fact she was out of
town, mayor Bass froze in themoment of her crisis.
Now it is worth noting thatBass did declare a state of
emergency from Ghana, but theoptics of her being away were
(04:53):
terrible.
Her return was met with angerand calls for her resignation,
and Bass did what leaders oftendo defended her actions.
She claimed that she had beenin constant contact with
officials, that she had takenquote the fastest route back
(05:13):
quote to Los Angeles.
But the damage was clearly done.
Now I'm going to play the videothat put the mayor deep, deep
into a crisis hole.
Now you are only listening tothis podcast and trust me when I
say watching it is far morepainful.
I mentioned that I talk aboutGovernor Abbott and the
Centerpoint Energy's response inone of my keynotes.
(05:34):
I am now adding this video tomy keynote.
So here's I'll just insert itlike a quick add in.
Here have annual meetings,leadership, annual meetings, and
you want me to speak aboutbreakdown and leadership and how
to build up from that, how tocome back when the critics are
overtaking.
You can reach out to me I havea link in the show notes, but
(05:55):
this video is going into thatkeynote.
The sound of this news clip is areporter asking the mayor about
her trip.
I'll give you the visual in onesentence Deer in headlights.
So she's departing the planeand you know how the jet bridge
comes up to planes.
Typically you would walk thejet bridge to go into the
(06:18):
airport, but as an officialshe's going to step onto the jet
bridge and then she's going togo straight out that door where
the luggage typically goes whenyou're boarding a plane, and the
jet bridge operators are takingall the luggage off.
So she's waiting for that doorto open, but you need a jet
bridge operator to open the door, so she is just standing there
(06:40):
in silence.
Take a listen.
Reporter (06:43):
Do you owe citizens an apology for being absent while
their homes were burning?
Do you regret cutting the firedepartment budget by millions of
dollars?
Madam Mayor, have you nothingto say today?
Have you absolutely?
nothing to say to the citizenstoday?
Elon Musk says that you'reutterly incompetent.
(07:04):
Are you considering yourposition, madam Mayor?
Have you absolutely nothing tosay to the citizens today who
are dealing with this disaster?
No apology for them.
Do you think you should havebeen visiting Ghana while this
(07:27):
was unfolding back home?
Madam Mayor, let me ask youjust again have you anything to
(07:59):
say to the citizens today as youreturn?
No, no, no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Madam hold on one second as you return.
Reporter (08:09):
Madam Mayor, just a few words for the citizens today
as you return to deal with thecatastrophe.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Can you take this down?
Molly McPherson (08:20):
No comment is a reputation death sentence.
I could end the episode righthere.
Comment is a reputation deathsentence.
I could end the episode righthere.
Bass had over 7,000 miles onthat plane, flying back from
Ghana to LAX, to come up with astate from the jetway.
She had to have staffers onthat plane with her.
She had her jacket, so clearlyshe must have known, or a
(08:41):
staffer said, uh, Madam Mayor,here's your jacket to put on
when you come off the flight.
Like she knew she was going tobe photographed.
You would have to know thequestions were going to be there
as well.
Now, one of the reasons why shelikely was silenced is because,
since this crisis happened andthis is what happens in a crisis
people start digging.
There was a 2021 interview withthe New York Times that
(09:05):
resurfaced, in which she saidquote if I win the election, not
only would I, of course, livehere, but I also would not
travel internationally.
The only places I would gowould be DC, Sacramento, San
Francisco and New York.
In relation to LA end quote.
And the trip to Ghana.
That was her fifthinternational trip Her fifth.
(09:26):
She clearly wasn't expectingthe ambush on the jet bridge,
but how could you not, With allthe criticism mounting on Bass
from the trip to Ghana, thingswent from bad to worse.
Now, typically in a crisis,leaders will already have some
fault lines that will contributeto the erosion of trust For
(09:46):
Bass.
In 2024, she had slashed the LAfire department's the LAFD's
budget by $17.5 million.
So, of course, critics come outand they started arguing that
these cuts hampered the city'sfire response.
And then people on social mediachime in with their public
opinion.
Critics at the time warned thatthe city would not be able to
(10:07):
afford these types of contractsbecause they would make for
significant budget cuts to basicservices like the fire
department.
So the timing of the budgetcuts added to that erosion.
Number three the credibility isclearly in question.
The criticism has started.
She's on the trip, she's goneback on her word.
(10:30):
The policies contributed to thechaos of the lack of water in
the fire hydrants to fight theblazes, and they're going to say
it's the decision that she cutthe LAFD's funds.
So now Bass is in a positionwhere she has to defend these
(10:50):
reductions.
Now, does it mean she made amistake in these reductions?
Well, that's up for the peoplein Los Angeles to determine.
However, leaders are allowed tomake their decisions, even if
they're unpopular decisions.
You just have to specify why itwas made.
Sometimes decisions are toughdecisions.
That's the type of languagethat leaders should put out
(11:13):
there when they are dealing withthis type of issue in the
throes of a crisis.
Also, the luck, she had someonewho was directly contradicting
her and was a member of her team, and that is the LAFD chief,
Kristen Crowley.
She was not afraid to go oncamera and speak about what the
(11:36):
cuts did.
Reporter (11:38):
Did the city of Los Angeles fail you and your
department and our city and ourcity?
It's my job to stand up as achief and exactly say,
justifiably, what the firedepartment needs to operate to
meet the demands of thecommunity.
Did they fail you?
That is our job and I tell youthat's why I'm here.
So let's get us what we need soour firefighters can do their
(11:58):
jobs.
Did they fail you?
Yes, Ouch.
Molly McPherson (12:03):
When you have your fire chief directly
contradicting you, that iscreating a firestorm within the
firestorm.
That was bold leadership on thefire chief's part to do that.
Put her job at great risk.
This is the point.
The critics come out and thecritics are vocal.
They're talking to reporters,they're on social media.
(12:26):
The criticism mixes with publicopinion.
And where do we get publicopinion?
Of course, on social media.
Then you get celebritieschiming in like a Kardashian.
Of course Khloe says onInstagram quote I stand by you,
chief Crowley, four bangers,mayor Bass, you are a joke.
(12:46):
Four bangers.
That type of criticism itdoesn't matter if it's from a
Kardashian.
That type of criticism startingwith the letter K matters
because the Kardashians havefollowers.
The press is going to pull anytype of commentary by
celebrities.
It just adds to the criticismand it erodes the trust.
(13:07):
With the erosion in trust comesthe retaliation.
Erosion in trust comes theretaliation.
That's when people, the public,they start to stand up and they
demand justice.
At the time, there was an onlinepetition.
At the time of this recording,there are over 134,000 names
calling for the resignation ofthe mayor.
(13:29):
I often get asked in thesesituations do these petitions
work?
Well, boards don't determine tofire leaders, and people don't
get fired directly because of apetition.
My goodness, could you imagineif that would be the reason?
However, it's a metric that thepress can use and put in their
stories.
It's a scientific measurement.
(13:51):
If there are over 134,000verified names, now we have
verified evidence that at least134,000 people want this woman
gone.
Next, broken promises, brokenleadership.
The criticism of the mayor andher response to the wildfires
(14:14):
continued to grow.
The broken promise of statingshe was not going to travel, the
potential broken promises withthe LA Fire Department that the
chief was calling her out for.
Broken promises in leadershipalso can be a death knell to
leadership.
Next, it's deflectingresponsibility, instead of
(14:38):
acknowledging the public'sconcerns about her absence or
the impact of her budget cuts.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Can you address the criticism now over the budget
issue and the slashing $17million slashing of the budget,
you know, I think if you go backand look at the reductions that
were made, there were noreductions that were made that
would have impacted thesituation that we were dealing
with over the last couple ofdays.
And then there was a little bitof confusion because money was
(15:10):
allocated to be distributedlater on, which was actually
going to support salaries andother parts of the fire
department that were distributeda little later.
Molly McPherson (15:21):
In defense of Mayor Bass and anyone else
standing before a pressconference.
I used to do press conferencetraining for officials when I
was at FEMA.
It's important to have opticsmatch your words, because people
watch press conferences.
They don't necessarily justlisten to them, they watch them
(15:41):
while listening to them.
So if your words are discordantwith the optics, people are
going to defer to the optics.
So if I'm going to speak abouther fault lines, I have to speak
about why she is at adisadvantage right out the gate.
Next number six a lack ofempathy.
Her initial statements lack theemotional resonance needed to
(16:05):
connect with a community reelingfrom a disaster.
Her emphasis on resistingefforts to pull us apart and
being more focused on politicalunity than acknowledging the
real pain and loss faced byAngelenos people in the area.
That lack of empathy can alsoerode trust.
(16:27):
So now let's focus on the keylessons in crisis communication.
What could Bass have donedifferently?
These are the key takeaways foranyone in a position of
leadership when a crisis hits.
Number one show executivepresence.
Females people identifying asfemales minority.
(16:47):
Anyone who's not an experiencedwhite male behind a microphone
has a disadvantage.
That's why you have to find theways to show more executive
presence where you can.
Two you have to take ownership,and that means you have to name
the criticism.
If people are calling you outfor a fault line and it's true
(17:11):
you have to address it.
She should have addressed thefact that she was out of the
country, even if people weregoing to blame her and still
come at her for doing it.
She needs to go on the recordand explain why.
Instead, she was a deer inheadlights that is going to
follow her straight into theelection.
She prioritized the protectionof her name over the reasons why
(17:32):
she chose to go to Ghana duringthe middle of growing crisis.
Three be present Literallyimpossible.
That means be on the ground, bevisible, be engaged.
So she's already broken apromise by traveling out of town
, but she's going to apresidential inauguration.
Let's say that's already out inthe press and people are
already talking.
She could use that as a talkingpoint.
(17:54):
I was at the airport headingout.
That's true, I was heading outfor an inauguration, but then I
was keeping up to date on thepotential of a crisis and I
pulled back and we came back tothe city so I could help prepare
in case something happened andsomething happened, and that's
why.
I'm here.
Next, you have to acknowledgeconcerns.
Address the elephant in theroom directly.
(18:15):
She should have acknowledgedthem head on.
A simple, heartfelt statementexpressing regret for the timing
, emphasizing her immediatefocus on the crisis, could have
gone a long, long way indampening that storyline.
Next, it's just showing empathy.
This is not a time for scriptedtalking points.
(18:35):
People need to see and hearthat their leaders understand
and share their pain.
Use clear, direct language.
Acknowledge the impact of thecrisis on individuals.
Bass could have done so muchmore to express genuine sorrow
for those who lost loved ones,their homes, their livelihoods.
Understandable that, as a leader, you don't want to go off
message In this environment.
(18:57):
Critics will bury you, so youwant to make sure that you're on
message.
However, it is very difficultto go off message when you're
talking about compassion.
How difficult is it to be amayor and say that you are
hurting?
You were just driving aroundLos Angeles.
Talk about what you saw, talkabout the pain, talk about how
it makes you feel.
(19:18):
I am thickened by what happenedDriving around Los Angeles,
getting out, talking to thevictims, talking to the
firefighters.
Our city is in ruins.
Okay, I just pulled a quotefrom Bruce Springsteen, but it's
not that difficult to do.
Next, be transparent.
Be accountable.
Don't shy away from difficultquestions.
(19:39):
Bass's attempts to downplay theLAFD budget cuts and defer
accountability only made herappear defensive and
untrustworthy.
A more effective approach is toacknowledge the budget
realities, explain the difficultdecisions that were made and
pledge a thorough review of thecity's fire preparedness after
the crisis.
Don't say you're examiningeverything after the crisis,
(20:02):
because there are things thatyou can examine right there on
the spot.
But going through a budget,going through those decisions,
the public, the press, theyshould understand.
Now's not the time for me to doaccounting.
I'll get to that, we'll talkabout it, but right now my focus
is on the city and theAngelenos who are suffering from
this fire.
Finally, the focus should be onsolutions Own it, explain it,
(20:24):
promise it.
People want to see theirleaders taking action.
She could have used her platformto highlight the specific steps
being taken to fight the fire,support evacuees and address the
immediate needs of thoseaffected.
She did this much, much later.
Those could have been hertalking points as she was
standing on that jetway like adeer in headlights.
(20:45):
The bottom line Bass is goingto have a lot of difficulty in a
reelection if she chooses torun again, she has lost the
trust of stakeholders.
She was literally backed into acorner.
For all leaders, if you do nothave the trust of stakeholders,
then you are backed into acorner.
(21:07):
These LA wildfires highlight acritical truth Managing a crisis
isn't just about handling theevent.
It's about maintaining trust.
Effective leaders communicateclearly, empathize deeply and
take accountability.
Did you enjoy this background?
Well then, I encourage you tosubscribe, leave a review and
(21:31):
share with your network offellow communicators and anyone
else who's listening to thispodcast your network of fellow
communicators and anyone elsewho's listening to this podcast.
So follow me on social mediafor more insights into PR
strategies and crisiscommunication.
It could come from celebrities,it could come from leaders, but
I promise you it's always goingto be ripped from the headlines
.
Thanks for listening.
Come back for next week's bigstory.
Bye for now.
Popular Podcasts
True Crime Tonight
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.