Communication Breakdown

Observatory on Corporate Reputation LLC
  • 5.0 (14)
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Communication Breakdown is a postgame show for PR pros. In each episode, hosts Craig Carroll (Founder of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation, Editor of the SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation, Lecturer at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business) and Steve Dowling (former head of communications at OpenAI and Apple) discuss the strategies and tactics companies are using in high-visibility crises and PR initiatives, giving listeners unique insight into how key decisions are made. The podcast offers two unique perspectives on communications theory and practice, drawing on Craig’s research and teaching on reputation at USC Annenberg, UNC Chapel Hill, and universities worldwide, and Steve’s two decades of experience as a comms leader at some of the world’s most influential companies. Whether you’re a PR professional, marketing executive, or just curious about how companies make key communications decisions, you’ll find these discussions insightful and valuable.

  1. 16h ago

    Board Games

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll dig into new research from the Observatory on Corporate Reputation examining who leads communications and corporate affairs at roughly 1,900 major companies, and who among them is making it onto corporate boards. While the number of communications executives holding board seats has grown over the past decade, new appointments have fallen sharply since 2024. Steve and Craig explore what may be behind that decline, whether communications expertise itself is valued in the boardroom, and why executives with broader portfolios appear more likely to reach senior ranks and board positions. They also examine the distinction between communications and corporate affairs, the rise of legal and policy-focused structures, and why being excellent at communications may still be a valuable career strategy in its own right. Links: https://corporateobservatory.com/communicators-on-boards/ https://corporateobservatory.com/research/communications-and-corporate-affairs-maps/ Takeaways Communications leaders remain rare on corporate boards, with only two new appointments identified between 2024 and 2026 compared with 13 between 2021 and 2023.Board selection may have less to do with communications expertise itself and more to do with broader executive experience, business judgment, and responsibilities that boards already know how to evaluate.Communications leaders with broader portfolios tend to hold more senior titles, but the research does not yet establish whether broader responsibilities lead to seniority or whether trusted senior executives are simply given broader responsibilities.Topics Mentioned corporate boards, chief communications officers, corporate affairs, board appointments, communications leadership, executive career development, CCO Prime, CCO Plus, business judgment, organizational structure, non-market strategy, market strategy, government relations, public affairs, legal affairs, general counsel, marketing, human resources, policy, social impact, reputation, executive seniority, organizational design, business acumen Companies Mentioned Spencer Stuart, NBC, GE, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Wayfair, Kenvue, Citibank, Travelers, Best Buy, Microsoft, MetLife, PepsiCo, McDonald’s Episode Hashtags #SpencerStuart #NBC #GE #Nike #JohnsonAndJohnson #Wayfair #Kenvue #Citibank #Travelers #BestBuy #Microsoft #MetLife #PepsiCo #McDonalds #CorporateCommunications #CorporateAffairs #ChiefCommunicationsOfficer #CCO #BoardOfDirectors #CorporateGovernance #CommunicationsLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #PublicRelations #ReputationManagement #NonMarketStrategy #GovernmentRelations #PublicAffairs #OrganizationalDesign #ExecutiveCareer #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com

  2. Nov 5

    The Midterms

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine how companies can adjust their Washington strategies while maintaining credibility with employees and customers. Craig shares research across roughly 845 companies that found limited public communication about the midterms, with most statements focused on business implications rather than civic participation. Steve and Craig explore the consequences of political alignment, corporate silence, and commitments that remain on the public record long after companies stop discussing them. They outline how communications audits, employee conversations, and routine narrative governance can help companies explain what’s changing, what still stands, and why. TakeawaysLimited public communication about voting support doesn’t establish that companies discontinued benefits or stopped communicating internally. Favorable policy decisions and approved deals don’t establish stakeholder trust. Earlier commitments remain part of a company’s public record. Topics Mentioned 2026 midterms, corporate political alignment, civic participation, employee voting benefits, corporate silence, stakeholder trust, corporate values, congressional oversight, communications audits, narrative accretion, narrative governance, operational sequence integrity, employee communication, investor communication, diversity commitments, artificial intelligence, corporate reputation Companies Mentioned The Economist, Axios, Forbes, LinkedIn, Lyft, Patagonia, PayPal, PBS, OpenAI, Target, Costco, Exxon, Disney, The New York Times Episode Hashtags #TheEconomist #Axios #Forbes #LinkedIn #Lyft #Patagonia #PayPal #PBS #OpenAI #Target #Costco #Exxon #Disney #TheNewYorkTimes #CommunicationBreakdown #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #Midterms2026 #CorporateValues #StakeholderTrust #EmployeeCommunications #NarrativeGovernance #CongressionalOversight #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com

  3. Oct 29

    (Almost) Everything We Could See

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll react to You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary following Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in the weeks before she reported to federal prison. They examine Holmes’ apparent attempt to humanize herself and reshape her reputation through extraordinary access, and why access without a clear narrative or credible evidence can create more scrutiny instead. The conversation explores transparency as a communications strategy, the difference between controlling a story and completing one, and what happens when claims, operational reality, and public perception stop lining up. For communications leaders, the film becomes a case study in reputation rehabilitation, media strategy, narrative governance, and the limits of transparency when trust has already collapsed. Takeaways Access and transparency need a defined outcome. Humanizing a leader after a reputational crisis requires more than personal access. Controlling the environment does not mean controlling the narrative. Topics Mentioned Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos, You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, documentary filmmaking, reputation rehabilitation, transparency, radical transparency, media relations, narrative control, narrative governance, credibility, trust, scrutiny, corporate communications, public relations, executive communications, reputation management, claims, developmental warrant, evidence, perception, operational reality, media strategy, interview management, outcome goals, performance goals, narrative coherence Companies Mentioned Theranos, Hulu, New York Times, A24 Episode Hashtags #Theranos #Hulu #NewYorkTimes #ElizabethHolmes #YouCanSeeEverything #NathanFielder #LanceOppenheim #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #ReputationManagement #Transparency #RadicalTransparency #MediaRelations #NarrativeStrategy #NarrativeGovernance #Credibility #Trust #ExecutiveCommunications #CrisisCommunications #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com

  4. Oct 22

    Bad Calls, Losing Bets and Non-Answers

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine what happens when companies ask the public to trust their explanations, their motives, or their values without providing enough evidence to support them. They begin with Meta’s temporary suspension of the No Kings Instagram account and the credibility problem created when the company’s explanation changed within 24 hours. Then they turn to Polymarket and Flutter, where claims of public benefit collide with business incentives, before closing with Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy’s uncomfortable attempt to avoid questions about the company’s history on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ issues. Across all three stories, Steve and Craig explore how past conduct, visible boundaries, and leadership choices determine whether stakeholders are willing to give an organization the benefit of the doubt. TakeawaysMeta’s rapid acknowledgment of the No Kings suspension was the right instinct, but its changing explanation weakened a transparency effort that was already operating against a trust deficit.Flutter’s claim that higher gambling taxes could drive consumers toward unregulated operators may have merit, but pairing that warning with expectations of increased market share raises questions about who bears the cost of the company’s response.Chick-fil-A had concrete changes and employment commitments its CEO could have discussed, but Andrew Cathy’s refusal to engage directly left audiences to interpret what the company was unwilling or unable to say.Topics Mentioned corporate credibility, reputation management, transparency, political proximity, alignment signaling, social media moderation, automated enforcement, stakeholder trust, prediction markets, public-interest claims, corporate judgment, narrative arbitrage, gambling regulation, layoffs, consumer protection, leadership communication, LGBTQ issues, corporate values, media interviews, executive preparation, silence as communication Companies Mentioned Meta, Instagram, Anthropic, Polymarket, Front Office Sports, Kalshi, Flutter, FanDuel, Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet, Chick-fil-A, NBC Episode Hashtags #Meta #Instagram #Anthropic #Polymarket #FrontOfficeSports #Kalshi #Flutter #FanDuel #PaddyPower #Betfair #SkyBet #ChickfilA #NBC #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #CrisisCommunication #StakeholderTrust #LeadershipCommunication #ReputationManagement #Transparency #AlignmentSignaling #PredictionMarkets #ExecutiveCommunications #MediaTraining #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com

  5. Oct 15

    Mixed Messages and Second Takes

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine Microsoft’s response to a White House attack on its immigration practices, followed hours later by presidential recognition for CEO Satya Nadella. They debate whether the company’s restrained rebuttal served its audiences and how political access should translate into results for employees. Craig introduces “disdirection,” describing how contradictory signals undermine a company’s ability to understand which relationships and commitments it can rely on. Then, they revisit Cornell University’s handling of a sexual assault case, assessing President Michael Kotlikoff’s apology, new safety measures, and the unresolved questions about leadership accountability and follow-through. TakeawaysPolitical access and presidential recognition offer limited reassurance when government decisions threaten employees. Corporate engagement needs to produce concrete results.Contradictory political signals make consistent corporate messaging, clear evidence, and explicit standards for resolving disputes more important.Cornell’s apology and new investigative arrangements represent progress. Restoring confidence requires explaining earlier failures and demonstrating that corrections work.Topics Mentioned Corporate communications, political access, government relations, non-market strategy, return on mission, H-1B visas, PERM labor certification, employee trust, immigration policy, factual rebuttals, disdirection, crisis communication, campus safety, sexual assault reporting, leadership accountability, upstream communication, board oversight, stakeholder confidence Companies Mentioned Microsoft, Google, AMD, NVIDIA, Fox News, Amazon, Meta, Cornell University, The New York Times Episode Hashtags #Microsoft #Google #AMD #NVIDIA #FoxNews #Amazon #Meta #CornellUniversity #TheNewYorkTimes #CommunicationBreakdown #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CrisisCommunication #GovernmentRelations #NonMarketStrategy #ReturnOnMission #EmployeeTrust #LeadershipAccountability #CorporateReputation #CampusSafety #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com

  6. Oct 8

    Cornell’s Reckoning, Algorithmic ‘Gouging’

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different crises connected by a common question: what happens when trust in an institution or company is already under strain? They begin with Cornell University’s response to allegations that a student was drugged and sexually assaulted at a fraternity party, analyzing President Michael Kotlikoff’s delayed public statement, the university’s handling of the case, and the difference between promising future action and accounting for past decisions. Watch the full public statement from Cornell University's President, Michael Kotlikoff here: https://statements.cornell.edu/2026/20261003-commitment.cfm Then they turn to Walmart and McDonald’s as both companies push back against claims that artificial intelligence and consumer data could be used to manipulate prices. Across both stories, Steve and Craig explore credibility, accountability, narrative governance, and why organizational claims need to hold up against the systems and decisions behind them. Takeaways In a crisis involving serious harm, leadership communication must address what happened, what the organization did, and what has changed, rather than relying primarily on promises about the future.Independent scrutiny carries more credibility when organizational leaders openly subject their own decisions and roles to examination.AI-related communication increasingly requires companies to explain who controls the technology, what data it uses, what it is designed to optimize, and what limits protect consumers.Topics Mentioned crisis communication, sexual assault, university governance, leadership accountability, institutional trust, independent investigations, organizational culture, Greek life, reputational risk, transparency, legal risk, stakeholder trust, AI pricing, artificial intelligence, dynamic pricing, personalized pricing, surveillance pricing, consumer data, price optimization, narrative governance, investor communications, customer communications, franchise pricing, corporate accountability Companies Mentioned Cornell University, Kai Pi, Delta Delta Delta, CNN, Walmart, Reuters, McDonald’s Episode Hashtags #Cornell #CornellUniversity #Walmart #McDonalds #Reuters #CNN #CrisisCommunication #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #ReputationManagement #Leadership #Accountability #InstitutionalTrust #StakeholderTrust #OrganizationalCulture #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #AIPricing #DynamicPricing #ConsumerData #NarrativeGovernance #ConsumerTrust #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com

  7. Sep 30

    Reorg, Reject, Retouch

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll start with Microsoft’s decision to move communications under its corporate, external, and legal affairs organization, asking what reporting lines reveal about a company’s priorities and whether proximity to the CEO actually translates into influence. Then they turn to social media platforms that initially rejected paid promotion for Alex Gibney’s Elon Musk documentary, raising questions about platform rules, automated decision-making, and access to audiences. Finally, they unpack Stanford University’s use of AI to alter a photograph of real students, including replacing one student entirely, despite a university policy strictly prohibiting the practice. Across all three stories, the central issue is governance: policies and organizational structures matter only when the processes behind them work as intended. Takeaways Where communications sits on the org chart sends a message. Microsoft’s decision to place communications within corporate, external, and legal affairs reflects the increasingly broad political, legal, social, and reputational environment communications leaders must navigate.A seat at the table does not guarantee influence. Communications leaders can become too absorbed in executive thinking and lose the outside perspective and organizational relationships that give the function its value.Platform policies need consistent definitions and enforcement. Meta and YouTube reversed decisions restricting ads for the Musk documentary, but their explanations left questions about whether automated systems, human judgment, or policy interpretation caused the restrictions.Topics Mentioned corporate communications, communications leadership, corporate affairs, organizational structure, communications reporting lines, employee communications, non-market strategy, reputation management, social media advertising, political advertising, content moderation, platform governance, audience access, Elon Musk documentary, artificial intelligence, generative AI, AI governance, image manipulation, authenticity, diversity, representation, institutional credibility, communications policy, reputation risk Companies Mentioned Microsoft, Meta, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Oracle, YouTube, Google, Bleecker Street, Twitter/X, Amazon, Fox News Episode Hashtags #Microsoft #Meta #Instagram #Facebook #TikTok #Oracle #YouTube #Google #BleeckerStreet #Twitter #X #Amazon #FoxNews #Stanford #CorporateCommunications #CorporateAffairs #PublicRelations #ReputationManagement #CommunicationsLeadership #StrategicCommunications #AI #GenerativeAI #AIGovernance #AIethics #PlatformGovernance #ContentModeration #CorporateReputation #Leadership #Authenticity #StakeholderTrust #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com This episode includes AI-generated content.

  8. Sep 24

    All Apologies

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine three very different responses to public pressure. Converse apologizes for disturbing imagery in an ad campaign, while Ed Sheeran addresses the removal of Macklemore from his tour after remarks about Palestine. Oracle, facing criticism over how it handled layoffs, offers little explanation to the employees affected. Steve and Craig ask what an apology must answer, how partners can prepare for pressure together, and what corporate silence costs the people left waiting for answers. Takeaways Taking down an offensive ad is an immediate remedy. Converse still needs to explain how the image passed review and what will change.An apology can land differently with fans, critics, partners, and others affected. One audience’s response cannot stand in for all of them.Public solidarity carries more weight when collaborators have discussed their commitments and how they will respond to pressure in advance. Topics Mentioned Apologies, advertising review, creative approval, stakeholder trust, performer speech, public solidarity, wedge warfare, crisis preparation, layoffs, employee communication, strategic silence, accountability, AI adoption, return on mission Companies Mentioned Converse, Oracle, Instagram, The Wall Street Journal, Nike, Slack, LinkedIn, Amazon, Target Episode Hashtags #Converse #Oracle #Instagram #WallStreetJournal #Nike #Slack #LinkedIn #Amazon #Target #EdSheeran #Macklemore #CrisisCommunications #CorporateReputation #Apologies #StakeholderTrust #EmployeeCommunications #Layoffs #ArtificialIntelligence #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetwork Communication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation. Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling. Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal. For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at podcasts@ocrnetwork.com

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

Communication Breakdown is a postgame show for PR pros. In each episode, hosts Craig Carroll (Founder of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation, Editor of the SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation, Lecturer at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business) and Steve Dowling (former head of communications at OpenAI and Apple) discuss the strategies and tactics companies are using in high-visibility crises and PR initiatives, giving listeners unique insight into how key decisions are made. The podcast offers two unique perspectives on communications theory and practice, drawing on Craig’s research and teaching on reputation at USC Annenberg, UNC Chapel Hill, and universities worldwide, and Steve’s two decades of experience as a comms leader at some of the world’s most influential companies. Whether you’re a PR professional, marketing executive, or just curious about how companies make key communications decisions, you’ll find these discussions insightful and valuable.

Information

  • Creator
    Observatory on Corporate Reputation LLC
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    109
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Communication Breakdown

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