July 9, 2025 • 12 mins
July appears quiet. It isn’t.
This episode outlines why summer is a high-risk period for reputation management. With newsroom staffing reduced and audience attention low, deeper stories start brewing. Reporters have more time. Leadership is often distracted. That’s when reputational cracks start to widen.
The timing is rarely accidental. Many of the biggest PR crises in recent years—from Lizzo’s lawsuit to Drew Barrymore’s strike backlash—began simmering in July and erupted by September.
What’s covered:
- How reduced oversight and lower engagement create space for reputational damage
- The patterns behind summer stories that spiral
- Case examples including Diddy, Cuomo, Barrymore, Lizzo, Fallon, Baldoni, and Lively
- The role of social media in sustaining backlash
- Why July is a critical window for transparency, not silence
Also featured: a breakdown of how MuckRack supports proactive monitoring and sentiment tracking.
Referenced Stories:
- Sean Combs trial
- Andrew Cuomo's primary upset
- Lizzo legal fallout
- Writers strike flashpoints
- Celebrity missteps and media strategy
Key takeaway:
July is not the time to disappear. For anyone managing a sensitive narrative, this is the moment to speak before being spoken about.
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.
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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Molly McPherson (00:01):
If you work in public relations, strategic
communication or crisismanagement, perhaps you own your
own firm and you're workingwith clients who are dealing
with issues.
I have something I want toshare with you.
Not only did this topic come upnumerous times last week, it
came up twice today with twoclients dealing with viral PR
(00:22):
crises.
And here's the tip July is notthe month to look away.
It might feel quiet, but it'snot, it's loaded.
Case in point Sean Diddy Combs.
As of this recording, jurors aredeep in deliberation over these
explosive federal charges.
I know what you're thinking,molly.
(00:44):
That happened two weeks ago.
Yes, I'm recording this onTuesday, july 1st.
I'm trying to squeeze it inbefore the July 4th holiday.
I have to take a, I think,well-deserved vacation, so I
wanted to record this ahead oftime, but it gives me time to
make a prediction about SeanCombs.
Now it's interesting.
(01:05):
If you remember, two weeks agowhen this happened, I saw a
notification that the jury onlyreached a partial verdict only
four out of five counts andthere was a holdup because there
was one person on the jury whothey could not convince, and I
was thinking my conspiracy brainwas working overtime.
(01:27):
I thought maybe Sean Combs orsomeone close to him got to one
of the jurors and their job wasto muck it up.
I don't know, but at this pointthey've been in deliberation
for a little over 12 hours.
Personally, I think Tiddy willbe found guilty on all counts.
I think this trial, with all ofthe abuse allegations and this
(01:52):
high-profile defendant, is aperfect reminder of why public
relations is so important andhow you manage it, because PR is
managing your reputation aswell.
Now, this trial didn't justhappen to land in July, but the
announcement of the chargeslanded in September, and that is
(02:16):
what this episode is about.
Welcome to the PR BreakdownPodcast.
I'm your host, molly McPherson,and this is your midsummer
check-in and it's for anyone whomanages reputations when stakes
are high.
Now, newsrooms they feel calmright now.
If you happen to work in one,you know this is a time when
(02:37):
people are out.
If you work in a youngernewsroom, maybe a lot of people
are going on maternity leave orthey're going to have babies in
late summer, because you knowwhat, Sometimes we can plan
these things.
But June a lot of the topeditors, executives they're on
vacation, likely in Europe, and,oh my goodness, what if they
were invited to the Jeff Bezos,lauren Sanchez spectacular
(03:00):
wedding.
I don't think I remember seeinga lot of newsy people on the
invite list next to Tom Brady,leonardo DiCaprio and all the
Kardashians.
But July, heading towards theJuly 4th weekend in the US,
canada Day in Canada we havelooser oversight, more
open-ended reporting time.
(03:21):
This is the time when reportersstart pitching deeper stories.
You're going to see storiesabout back to schools take shape
.
There's still going to beprimary stories out there.
Case in point Andrew Cuomo, whowas whomped in the New York
City mayoral primary.
Now that was a big story.
He wasn't expecting it to be abig story.
(03:42):
He thought he was going tomarch right through it.
So there's still some politicalstories.
But summer you're going to seea lot of evergreen stories out
there as well.
But it's the time when reporterskind of take their foot off the
pedal a bit because not a lotof people are consuming news.
Now, a lot of people are onsocial media, but newspapers,
news outlet, local nationaltelevision they're not expecting
(04:04):
a lot of people, at least inthe US and in Europe and Canada
North America, you know sittingat home watching television.
This is a time where a lot ofpeople are out, so you're not
going to get big, high-ratingtelevision or these really deep,
compelling stories.
And August, well, that time isa news desert because that's
(04:24):
when everybody the hoi polloi,everyone is on vacation.
Then Social media is stillpercolating.
It is a news desert but it canbe very hot, not just in weather
and the temperature, but alsoin scandal, because August is a
time that reporters who are onduty many times it's those young
reporters they're looking forstories.
(04:46):
Now in my career I had a numberof August stories pop up and all
of a sudden I got very busy.
I had a number of Auguststories like pop up and all of a
sudden, you know, I got verybusy.
One Lizzo.
Do you remember that story?
Former dancers filed thisexplosive lawsuit that happened
in August Accusations of sexualharassment, body shaming,
religious discrimination.
It simmered online and thenerupted in traditional and
(05:08):
legacy media.
By the fall, I was doing a lotof media interviews then and the
reason why there weren't anyother news stories to break that
cycle.
But there are plenty of otherstories that dropped in that
August September timeframe,right when the news consumption
surges again, more stories.
Drew Barrymore and the WritersGuild of America strike backlash
(05:31):
.
Do you remember that?
It flared up in September 2023.
That writer's strike was a hugestory, if you remember, and
it's funny.
When the Drew Barrymore storyhit, when she crossed the picket
line, I happened to be in NewYork City because my daughter,
rory, had a college soccer gamein New Jersey and ABC asked me
to do an interview in New YorkCity on September 11th.
(05:55):
That's right, I was there theevening of September 11th, so I
went there for ABC.
I was blocks away from CBS,which is where Drew Barrymore
was going to record her program,her talk show, the next morning
, and then a producer fromAccess Hollywood, which is NBC,
reached out to me and said I sawyou post about here's another
story Ashton Kutcher, when heand the missus, do you remember?
(06:18):
They posted a video where theywere defending Danny Masterson
on the charges while heeventually went to prison.
But all of that happened at thesame time.
It was like the first secondweek of September.
Jimmy Fallon was in the storyas well.
Do you remember that?
The toxic workplace story thatRolling Stone published
post-Labor Day?
That was another hit piece thattook months to work on.
(06:41):
The reporters started callingformer staffers over the summer.
So by that September 2024, nbcwas dealing with a major crisis
on their hands.
And then, of course, who couldever forget?
Last August, the it Ends With Usmovie premiere starring Blake
(07:02):
Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Justin Baldoni was also thedirector.
That premiere was happening atthe same time as Deadpool
starring Blake's husband, ryanReynolds, and his buddy Hugh
Jackman.
All of it happened to falltogether because of the Writers
Guild strike.
The production was delayed onboth of them, so the premieres
(07:23):
ended up happening in August,when you don't often have
premieres.
But they probably thought againnews desert we can capture a lot
of news here.
Well, at that time I waswriting for Forbes and I was
watching that story and Ithought this has sus written all
over it.
You all know about thereputational firestorm that
happened, the lawsuits, thecounter lawsuits, the
(07:44):
allegations of onset misconduct.
All of that started percolatingbig in August.
It blew up in September.
Percolating big in August.
It blew up in September.
By December is when BlakeLively I believe at the behest
of her husband, ryan Reynoldsfiled that civil complaint in
California, also working in syncwith the New York Times, who
(08:08):
was working on a hit piece.
Now that one dropped atChristmas because it was
strategically timed to work withBlake Lively.
Also, that's another dead zonefor news.
So they wanted that story toactually sit over the holidays
because they wanted it to hurtJustin Baldoni, still not
convinced.
Here are some other exposés thatbroke in 2024.
(08:29):
Of course, I mentioned SeanDiddy Combs.
The indictment happened inSeptember.
Also another indictment NewYork City Mayor, eric Adams.
It was a federal indictment.
Five charges bribery, wirefraud, foreign influence.
All of these charges came downin September.
All of these charges came downin September.
Now the district attorneythat's not a news outlet but a
(08:54):
DA knows that the news outletswill follow these stories.
There was also Dave Grohl hisInstagram confession to his
affair and secret love child.
That came out in September andthat was a story that certainly
wasn't planned.
It was a long-form scandal, butbecause it broke in September,
it that was a story thatcertainly wasn't planned.
It was a long-form scandal, butbecause it broke in September,
it was a huge story.
I remember doing a post on thatFor my UK listeners.
(09:17):
You may remember the BBC'sStrictly Come Dancing
investigation and bullyingcomplaints that tainted the
network brand, and that was alsoin September.
So these aren't random hits,these are built over the summer.
So what does this mean?
Communicators, pr people,publicists, crisis managers.
(09:38):
It's July.
What are you doing?
You are paying attention.
Let everybody else go onvacation, and you can go on
vacation too, if you want.
Of course, you have to relax weall have to relax but you have
to keep your senses about you.
Pay attention to the reporters,pay attention to your beat
reporters.
Are you hearing things fromthem?
Are reporters like?
This is the case of one of myclients.
(09:59):
All of a sudden, reportersstarted asking questions about
this one issue.
I said they're probably simpingaround because they want to
work on a deeper story.
And if your story has anythingto do or your issue has anything
to do with social media, thatis a danger zone, because people
stay on social media over thesummer.
So pay attention, own yourstory.
(10:20):
If there's a narrative coming,you can either draft it or you
can be drafted into it the wayyou want to manage it,
particularly if there's alongstanding media inquiry there
.
Speak out before you're spokenabout and don't forget the one
tactic that reporters respectthe most.
That's transparency.
Say something now.
Even if it's not everything, atleast it's something.
(10:44):
This isn't about playingdefense.
It's about preparing youroffense.
This isn't about playingdefense.
It's about preparing youroffense.
You know journalists are alwaysworking their angles, so you
need to shape your arc as well.
All right, everyone.
That's all for this week on thepodcast.
Now I'd like to add I found allof these stories using Muckrack
(11:05):
.
They're now a supporter of thepodcast.
I'm excited to partner withthem.
If you're not familiar withMuckrack, it's an AI-powered
platform that supports yourentire PR workflow.
It's an essential tool in mywork because I use it to find my
stories, to find reporters, butalso I love it for monitoring
(11:26):
sentiment, and in these stories,a lot of them came up negative.
So if you want to find out moreabout muckrack, you can check
out a link in the show notes.
I hope, like me, you all have achance to have a little bit of
quiet and calm in July, but ifyou're holding on to something
sensitive, now is the time toact.
(11:49):
Start putting your comms outthere, maybe some FAQs, maybe.
Start putting it out on thewebsite.
Get the information out thereso there isn't a September
surprise waiting for you.
Thanks for listening.
Bye for now.
If you work in public relations, strategic
communication or crisismanagement, perhaps you own your
own firm and you're workingwith clients who are dealing
with issues.
I have something I want toshare with you.
Not only did this topic come upnumerous times last week, it
came up twice today with twoclients dealing with viral PR
(00:22):
crises.
And here's the tip July is notthe month to look away.
It might feel quiet, but it'snot, it's loaded.
Case in point Sean Diddy Combs.
As of this recording, jurors aredeep in deliberation over these
explosive federal charges.
I know what you're thinking,molly.
(00:44):
That happened two weeks ago.
Yes, I'm recording this onTuesday, july 1st.
I'm trying to squeeze it inbefore the July 4th holiday.
I have to take a, I think,well-deserved vacation, so I
wanted to record this ahead oftime, but it gives me time to
make a prediction about SeanCombs.
Now it's interesting.
(01:05):
If you remember, two weeks agowhen this happened, I saw a
notification that the jury onlyreached a partial verdict only
four out of five counts andthere was a holdup because there
was one person on the jury whothey could not convince, and I
was thinking my conspiracy brainwas working overtime.
(01:27):
I thought maybe Sean Combs orsomeone close to him got to one
of the jurors and their job wasto muck it up.
I don't know, but at this pointthey've been in deliberation
for a little over 12 hours.
Personally, I think Tiddy willbe found guilty on all counts.
I think this trial, with all ofthe abuse allegations and this
(01:52):
high-profile defendant, is aperfect reminder of why public
relations is so important andhow you manage it, because PR is
managing your reputation aswell.
Now, this trial didn't justhappen to land in July, but the
announcement of the chargeslanded in September, and that is
(02:16):
what this episode is about.
Welcome to the PR BreakdownPodcast.
I'm your host, molly McPherson,and this is your midsummer
check-in and it's for anyone whomanages reputations when stakes
are high.
Now, newsrooms they feel calmright now.
If you happen to work in one,you know this is a time when
(02:37):
people are out.
If you work in a youngernewsroom, maybe a lot of people
are going on maternity leave orthey're going to have babies in
late summer, because you knowwhat, Sometimes we can plan
these things.
But June a lot of the topeditors, executives they're on
vacation, likely in Europe, and,oh my goodness, what if they
were invited to the Jeff Bezos,lauren Sanchez spectacular
(03:00):
wedding.
I don't think I remember seeinga lot of newsy people on the
invite list next to Tom Brady,leonardo DiCaprio and all the
Kardashians.
But July, heading towards theJuly 4th weekend in the US,
canada Day in Canada we havelooser oversight, more
open-ended reporting time.
(03:21):
This is the time when reportersstart pitching deeper stories.
You're going to see storiesabout back to schools take shape
.
There's still going to beprimary stories out there.
Case in point Andrew Cuomo, whowas whomped in the New York
City mayoral primary.
Now that was a big story.
He wasn't expecting it to be abig story.
(03:42):
He thought he was going tomarch right through it.
So there's still some politicalstories.
But summer you're going to seea lot of evergreen stories out
there as well.
But it's the time when reporterskind of take their foot off the
pedal a bit because not a lotof people are consuming news.
Now, a lot of people are onsocial media, but newspapers,
news outlet, local nationaltelevision they're not expecting
(04:04):
a lot of people, at least inthe US and in Europe and Canada
North America, you know sittingat home watching television.
This is a time where a lot ofpeople are out, so you're not
going to get big, high-ratingtelevision or these really deep,
compelling stories.
And August, well, that time isa news desert because that's
(04:24):
when everybody the hoi polloi,everyone is on vacation.
Then Social media is stillpercolating.
It is a news desert but it canbe very hot, not just in weather
and the temperature, but alsoin scandal, because August is a
time that reporters who are onduty many times it's those young
reporters they're looking forstories.
(04:46):
Now in my career I had a numberof August stories pop up and all
of a sudden I got very busy.
I had a number of Auguststories like pop up and all of a
sudden, you know, I got verybusy.
One Lizzo.
Do you remember that story?
Former dancers filed thisexplosive lawsuit that happened
in August Accusations of sexualharassment, body shaming,
religious discrimination.
It simmered online and thenerupted in traditional and
(05:08):
legacy media.
By the fall, I was doing a lotof media interviews then and the
reason why there weren't anyother news stories to break that
cycle.
But there are plenty of otherstories that dropped in that
August September timeframe,right when the news consumption
surges again, more stories.
Drew Barrymore and the WritersGuild of America strike backlash
(05:31):
.
Do you remember that?
It flared up in September 2023.
That writer's strike was a hugestory, if you remember, and
it's funny.
When the Drew Barrymore storyhit, when she crossed the picket
line, I happened to be in NewYork City because my daughter,
rory, had a college soccer gamein New Jersey and ABC asked me
to do an interview in New YorkCity on September 11th.
(05:55):
That's right, I was there theevening of September 11th, so I
went there for ABC.
I was blocks away from CBS,which is where Drew Barrymore
was going to record her program,her talk show, the next morning
, and then a producer fromAccess Hollywood, which is NBC,
reached out to me and said I sawyou post about here's another
story Ashton Kutcher, when heand the missus, do you remember?
(06:18):
They posted a video where theywere defending Danny Masterson
on the charges while heeventually went to prison.
But all of that happened at thesame time.
It was like the first secondweek of September.
Jimmy Fallon was in the storyas well.
Do you remember that?
The toxic workplace story thatRolling Stone published
post-Labor Day?
That was another hit piece thattook months to work on.
(06:41):
The reporters started callingformer staffers over the summer.
So by that September 2024, nbcwas dealing with a major crisis
on their hands.
And then, of course, who couldever forget?
Last August, the it Ends With Usmovie premiere starring Blake
(07:02):
Lively and Justin Baldoni.
Justin Baldoni was also thedirector.
That premiere was happening atthe same time as Deadpool
starring Blake's husband, ryanReynolds, and his buddy Hugh
Jackman.
All of it happened to falltogether because of the Writers
Guild strike.
The production was delayed onboth of them, so the premieres
(07:23):
ended up happening in August,when you don't often have
premieres.
But they probably thought againnews desert we can capture a lot
of news here.
Well, at that time I waswriting for Forbes and I was
watching that story and Ithought this has sus written all
over it.
You all know about thereputational firestorm that
happened, the lawsuits, thecounter lawsuits, the
(07:44):
allegations of onset misconduct.
All of that started percolatingbig in August.
It blew up in September.
Percolating big in August.
It blew up in September.
By December is when BlakeLively I believe at the behest
of her husband, ryan Reynoldsfiled that civil complaint in
California, also working in syncwith the New York Times, who
(08:08):
was working on a hit piece.
Now that one dropped atChristmas because it was
strategically timed to work withBlake Lively.
Also, that's another dead zonefor news.
So they wanted that story toactually sit over the holidays
because they wanted it to hurtJustin Baldoni, still not
convinced.
Here are some other exposés thatbroke in 2024.
(08:29):
Of course, I mentioned SeanDiddy Combs.
The indictment happened inSeptember.
Also another indictment NewYork City Mayor, eric Adams.
It was a federal indictment.
Five charges bribery, wirefraud, foreign influence.
All of these charges came downin September.
All of these charges came downin September.
Now the district attorneythat's not a news outlet but a
(08:54):
DA knows that the news outletswill follow these stories.
There was also Dave Grohl hisInstagram confession to his
affair and secret love child.
That came out in September andthat was a story that certainly
wasn't planned.
It was a long-form scandal, butbecause it broke in September,
it that was a story thatcertainly wasn't planned.
It was a long-form scandal, butbecause it broke in September,
it was a huge story.
I remember doing a post on thatFor my UK listeners.
(09:17):
You may remember the BBC'sStrictly Come Dancing
investigation and bullyingcomplaints that tainted the
network brand, and that was alsoin September.
So these aren't random hits,these are built over the summer.
So what does this mean?
Communicators, pr people,publicists, crisis managers.
(09:38):
It's July.
What are you doing?
You are paying attention.
Let everybody else go onvacation, and you can go on
vacation too, if you want.
Of course, you have to relax weall have to relax but you have
to keep your senses about you.
Pay attention to the reporters,pay attention to your beat
reporters.
Are you hearing things fromthem?
Are reporters like?
This is the case of one of myclients.
(09:59):
All of a sudden, reportersstarted asking questions about
this one issue.
I said they're probably simpingaround because they want to
work on a deeper story.
And if your story has anythingto do or your issue has anything
to do with social media, thatis a danger zone, because people
stay on social media over thesummer.
So pay attention, own yourstory.
(10:20):
If there's a narrative coming,you can either draft it or you
can be drafted into it the wayyou want to manage it,
particularly if there's alongstanding media inquiry there
.
Speak out before you're spokenabout and don't forget the one
tactic that reporters respectthe most.
That's transparency.
Say something now.
Even if it's not everything, atleast it's something.
(10:44):
This isn't about playingdefense.
It's about preparing youroffense.
This isn't about playingdefense.
It's about preparing youroffense.
You know journalists are alwaysworking their angles, so you
need to shape your arc as well.
All right, everyone.
That's all for this week on thepodcast.
Now I'd like to add I found allof these stories using Muckrack
(11:05):
.
They're now a supporter of thepodcast.
I'm excited to partner withthem.
If you're not familiar withMuckrack, it's an AI-powered
platform that supports yourentire PR workflow.
It's an essential tool in mywork because I use it to find my
stories, to find reporters, butalso I love it for monitoring
(11:26):
sentiment, and in these stories,a lot of them came up negative.
So if you want to find out moreabout muckrack, you can check
out a link in the show notes.
I hope, like me, you all have achance to have a little bit of
quiet and calm in July, but ifyou're holding on to something
sensitive, now is the time toact.
(11:49):
Start putting your comms outthere, maybe some FAQs, maybe.
Start putting it out on thewebsite.
Get the information out thereso there isn't a September
surprise waiting for you.
Thanks for listening.
Bye for now.
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