Communication Breakdown

Observatory on Corporate Reputation LLC
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Business News
  • Updated Weekly

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. 18h ago

    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.

  2. 6d ago

    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

  3. Sep 17

    You Ought Not Be In Pictures

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine what happens when Hollywood turns corporate leaders into central characters. With new productions focused on Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk, they explore how dramatizations and documentaries can reshape public understanding of companies long after the original events occurred. The discussion goes beyond media strategy to examine governance, founder dependence, institutional accountability, and why organizations need their own credible record before someone else writes it for them. Takeaways Companies that become inseparable from their founders risk having their corporate reputation rise and fall with a single individual.Declining to participate in a film or documentary does not remove an organization from the story. It simply transfers control of representation to someone else.Organizations should distinguish between countering a narrative and producing new evidence that demonstrates institutional accountability. Topics Mentioned Corporate reputation, founder branding, executive communications, narrative governance, corporate storytelling, documentaries, dramatizations, crisis communications, governance, institutional accountability, AI-generated media, synthetic proxies, reputation management, media strategy, narrative control Companies Mentioned Meta, Facebook, The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Tesla, SpaceX, Enron, Theranos, Colossus Episode Hashtags #Meta #OpenAI #ChatGPT #Facebook #Tesla #SpaceX #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #ExecutiveCommunications #CrisisCommunications #ReputationManagement #NarrativeGovernance #Leadership #MediaStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #Documentary #Storytelling #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. Sep 10

    Episode 100

    In this 100th episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll revisit the major forces that have shaped corporate communications over the past two years. They examine how political pressure drove companies to reconsider diversity commitments, how narrative arbitrage allowed outside actors to seize control of corporate stories, and why unrestrained executives increasingly create their own reputation crises. The episode closes with a practical look at how calibration, evidence, and restraint help organizations maintain authority when stakeholder deference can no longer be assumed. Takeaways Companies acting from strength can explain why they made a decision, what they intend to preserve, and which boundaries they will maintain.Political momentum, online intensity, and election results should not be mistaken for broad, durable stakeholder consensus.Unexplained changes create narrative gaps that activists, critics, and political actors can exploit for attention and influence.Topics Mentioned corporate communications, corporate reputation, diversity commitments, DEI, political pressure, stakeholder expectations, fear versus strength, organizational values, narrative authorship, narrative arbitrage, crisis communication, social media, executive visibility, CEO reputation risk, executive containment, authenticity, governance, restraint, calibration, institutional authority, evidence, transparency Companies Mentioned Ford Motor, Costco, Target, Apple, Delta Air Lines, Meta, ABC, WNBA, Cracker Barrel, NFL, Tesla, Palantir, The New York Times, CNBC, Starbucks, Toyota, eBay, GameStop Episode Hashtags #FordMotor #Costco #Target #Apple #DeltaAirLines #Meta #ABC #WNBA #CrackerBarrel #NFL #Tesla #Palantir #NewYorkTimes #CNBC #Starbucks #Toyota #eBay #GameStop #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #CrisisCommunication #DEI #LeadershipCommunication #ExecutiveReputation #NarrativeArbitrage #StakeholderTrust #ReputationManagement #CorporateGovernance #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. Sep 3

    Long-time listeners, first-time callers

    In this special listener-driven episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll answer questions from communications leaders and longtime supporters of the podcast. The conversation covers corporate silence, credible storytelling, misinformation, CEO transitions, professional development, artificial intelligence, and how the hosts select the stories they analyze each week. Guest CallersHannah WongDominic CarrAbby HayesFarzana BaduelKim SampleMarcia DawkinsKeith BermanTraci KleinDavid GallagherTopics Mentioned corporate storytelling, warranted communication, organizational behavior, corporate apologies, strategic silence, narrative control, communications measurement, strategic subtraction, misinformation, disinformation, media scrutiny, corporate credibility, public-interest communication, US public relations, UK public relations, communications careers, mentorship, curiosity, artificial intelligence, creative judgment, CEO succession, leadership transitions, stakeholder confidence, internal communications, story selection, corporate reputation Companies Mentioned OpenAI, United Airlines, American Airlines, Starbucks, Amazon, Home Depot, BBC, Apple, Cracker Barrel, TikTok, Twitter, Reese’s, Sky News Episode Hashtags #OpenAI #UnitedAirlines #AmericanAirlines #Starbucks #Amazon #HomeDepot #BBC #Apple #CrackerBarrel #TikTok #Twitter #Reeses #SkyNews #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #StrategicCommunications #LeadershipCommunication #StakeholderTrust #Misinformation #Disinformation #MediaRelations #CEOSuccession #ArtificialIntelligence #InternalCommunications #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. Aug 27

    Return on Mission

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll explore a different way to measure the value of corporate communications, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement. Building on Dell’s use of “return on mission,” Craig applies the concept to corporate affairs and asks whether communications work makes an organization more capable of accomplishing its strategic goals. The conversation examines transaction costs, coordination costs, attention, confusion, crisis prevention, and other outcomes that traditional ROI metrics often miss. For communications leaders under pressure to demonstrate value, return on mission offers a way to connect their work directly to organizational performance. TakeawaysReturn on mission measures whether corporate affairs makes an organization more capable of accomplishing its strategy, goals, and obligations.Measures such as media impressions and share of voice capture attention, but they do not necessarily show whether communications helped the organization accomplish its objectives.Prevention can be a legitimate outcome when communicators identify a credible risk, intervene before escalation, and document how their actions changed the trajectory.Topics Mentioned return on mission, return on investment, corporate affairs measurement, public relations measurement, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, attention economy, non-market strategy, transaction costs, coordination costs, delay costs, attention costs, crisis communications, contradiction costs, confusion costs, strategic allocation of attention, executive attention, prevention as an outcome, corporate agency, after-action reviews, communications measurement, leading indicators, lagging indicators, stakeholder relationships, organizational friction, communications effectiveness Companies Mentioned Dell, Google Episode Hashtags #Dell #Google #ReturnOnMission #CorporateCommunications #CorporateAffairs #PublicRelations #PublicAffairs #CommunicationsStrategy #CommunicationsMeasurement #ReputationManagement #StakeholderEngagement #CrisisCommunications #ExecutiveCommunication #StrategicCommunications #OrganizationalPerformance #Leadership #ReputationStrategy #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. Aug 20

    Fixing Flock’s Blind Spot

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine Flock Safety’s attempt to reset its reputation amid growing criticism of its automated license plate reader network. They assess the company’s new safeguards, CEO Garrett Langley’s media tour, and Flock’s effort to reposition itself from a surveillance provider to the industry’s leading watchdog. Steve and Craig explore the difference between controlling a story and completing it, particularly when a company acknowledges harm without clearly defining its own responsibility. The discussion offers communications and governance leaders a timely case study in accountability, independent oversight, media preparation, and the limits of a policy announcement without operational proof. TakeawaysOperational changes must become more credible than the communications announcing them.Companies that build infrastructure at scale assume responsibility for its foreseeable operating conditions, even when customers commit the misconduct.An apology can express empathy while avoiding accountability if it never identifies the company’s own agency. Topics Mentioned Automated license plate readers, mass surveillance, police misconduct, data privacy, crisis communication, corporate accountability, systemic responsibility, product governance, audit logs, independent verification, data retention, facial recognition, drone technology, stakeholder trust, media framing, narrative control, apology strategy, activist engagement, media training, regulatory standards, permission to operate, reputation management Companies Mentioned Flock Safety, HBO, The Washington Post, Bloomberg News, CBS News, CNN, Lowe’s, InvestigateTV Episode Hashtags #FlockSafety #HBO #WashingtonPost #BloombergNews #CBSNews #CNN #Lowes #InvestigateTV #MassSurveillance #DataPrivacy #LicensePlateReaders #PoliceAccountability #CorporateAccountability #CorporateGovernance #CrisisCommunication #PublicRelations #CorporateCommunications #ReputationManagement #MediaRelations #MediaTraining #StakeholderTrust #ProductGovernance #IndependentOversight #NarrativeControl #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

  8. Aug 13

    Manifesto Mania!

    In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine what happens when powerful executives go direct in an effort to reshape public perception. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses a sweeping AI manifesto to argue for open access, personal empowerment, and a widely distributed AI future, while David Ellison takes to The New York Times to defend the Paramount-Warner deal and make the case that he can be trusted with CNN. Steve and Craig explore the widening gaps between executive claims, institutional conduct, and the evidence audiences use to decide what they believe. The discussion offers a timely lesson for communicators: executives can secure attention and frame an argument, but credibility ultimately depends on whether their actions warrant their claims. Takeaways Meta’s AI manifesto illustrates the credibility risk created when an organization’s promises about the future conflict with its institutional position, history, and current behavior.Meta’s public promises about AI-driven empowerment collide with employee questions about how productivity gains will actually be distributed.David Ellison’s assurances about editorial independence expose a gap between a claim and its warrant. Personal intentions offer less credibility than governance structures that constrain an owner’s ability to intervene.Topics Mentioned executive communications, corporate reputation, artificial intelligence, AI manifestos, open-source AI, open-weight models, executive credibility, trust, personal AI agents, mediatization, AI safety, cybersecurity, AI productivity, employee communications, data centers, job displacement, stakeholder risk, internal and external alignment, executive op-eds, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust, media relations, editorial independence, corporate governance, narrative control, claim and warrant, evidence asymmetry, newsroom governance, legacy media, borrowed legitimacy, stakeholder scrutiny Companies Mentioned Axios, Meta, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, OpenAI, Anthropic, TechCrunch, Harris Poll, Hugging Face, Business Insider, Amazon, Paramount Skydance, Warner Brothers, The New York Times, CNN, CBS, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Status, 60 Minutes, The Washington Post, Twitter Episode Hashtags #Meta #Facebook #WhatsApp #Instagram #OpenAI #Anthropic #Axios #TechCrunch #HuggingFace #BusinessInsider #Amazon #ParamountSkydance #WarnerBrothers #NewYorkTimes #CNN #CBS #WallStreetJournal #CNBC #WashingtonPost #Twitter #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #ExecutiveCommunications #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #Leadership #CrisisCommunications #MediaRelations #StakeholderTrust #CorporateGovernance #InternalCommunications #EditorialIndependence #NarrativeStrategy #ExecutiveCredibility #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
    103
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Communication Breakdown

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