{"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":"I Do / Undo","slug":"i-do-undo","published_at":"2026-07-09T13:00:03+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/i-do-undo","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/i-do-undo--72880835","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72880835/ep_91_i_do_undo.mp3","summary":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different reputation plays: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s highly controlled wedding event in New York, and Ford’s media blitz around quality, American workers, and a course correction on AI. The conversation explores how controlled visibility can build cultural power when audiences trust the intent behind the control. Steve and Craig also break down Ford’s use of third-party validation, veteran engineers, and a strong American manufacturing message to turn a quality problem into a comeback narrative. For PR and communications professionals, this episode is a sharp look at attention governance, proof points, and the reputational weight needed to keep big stories from tipping into spectacle or spin. Takeaways Taylor Swift’s wedding became a masterclass in controlled visibility, giving the public proximity without full access. Ford turned a quality problem and AI overreach story into a human judgment comeback narrative. Third-party validation, like the JD Power ranking, can strengthen a corporate message, but it does not erase longer-term performance tests. Topics Mentioned Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, controlled access, attention governance, celebrity communications, audience trust, secrecy, authenticity, reputational ballast, charitable giving, cultural events, Ford, artificial intelligence, veteran engineers, graybeard engineers, JD Power, product quality, warranty costs, recalls, American manufacturing, third-party validation, executive messaging, media strategy, narrative control, human judgment, automation risk Companies Mentioned Madison Square Garden, Empire State Building, Macy’s, Instagram, People, Us Weekly, Albertsons, Ford Motor Company, Bloomberg, JD Power, Toyota,…","meta_description":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different reputation plays: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s h…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1702,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/communication-breakdown-7019931/episodes/i-do-undo/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/i-do-undo.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}