{"podcast":{"title":"Communication Breakdown","slug":"communication-breakdown-7019931","podcast_index_feed_id":7019931,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/6301456/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://corporateobservatory.com/podcasts/communication-breakdown","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/bb1654c4c2ff3f77a3c1f292f51b3d52.jpg","author":"Observatory on Corporate Reputation LLC","episode_count":100,"summary":"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.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-11T02:22:07.181025+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931"},"episode":{"title":"A Midsummer Night’s Clip Show","slug":"a-midsummer-night-s-clip-show","published_at":"2026-07-23T13:00:12+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/a-midsummer-night-s-clip-show","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-midsummer-night-s-clip-show--73094092","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73094092/ep_93_for_review.mp3","summary":"In this special summer edition of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll revisit three of the season's most impactful conversations, each offering enduring lessons for corporate communicators. From eBay's decisive rejection of GameStop's acquisition bid, to Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters' AI communications misstep, to a broader discussion about why communications teams often operate in the wrong sequence, the episode explores how judgment, credibility, and organizational influence shape corporate reputation. Together, these conversations reinforce a central theme, that effective communication is less about saying more and more about saying the right thing at the right moment. Takeaways eBay demonstrated that brevity carries authority when it is backed by clear business judgment and disciplined messaging. Executive comments about AI and workforce changes require empathy first, because audiences interpret language through existing fears and uncertainty. Communications teams create greater strategic value when they participate before decisions are finalized rather than simply explaining them afterward. Topics Mentioned Corporate communications, corporate reputation, mergers and acquisitions, executive communication, AI communications, workforce automation, crisis communication, strategic communications, organizational alignment, governance, leadership credibility, stakeholder trust, narrative control, communications strategy, communications function, business judgment Companies Mentioned GameStop, eBay, CNBC, Standard Chartered, NVIDIA, Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Shell, Greenpeace Episode Hashtags #GameStop #eBay #CNBC #StandardChartered #NVIDIA #Boeing #AlaskaAirlines #Shell #Greenpeace #CorporateCommunications #CorporateReputation #PublicRelations #…","meta_description":"In this special summer edition of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll revisit three of the season's most impactful conversations, eac…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2070,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/communication-breakdown-7019931/episodes/a-midsummer-night-s-clip-show/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/a-midsummer-night-s-clip-show.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}