{"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://ocrnetwork.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":86,"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":"2026-06-05T04:21:27.467075+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931"},"episode":{"title":"Silence & Subpoenas","slug":"silence-subpoenas","published_at":"2026-02-20T14:00:02+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/silence-subpoenas","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/silence-subpoenas--70171881","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/70171881/ep_71_silence_subpoenas.mp3","summary":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine a Bloomberg column arguing that America’s most powerful CEOs have gone conspicuously quiet in the Trump era. They unpack the idea of a “corporate state of exception,” exploring when public outrage becomes so intense that silence carries greater reputational risk than speaking out. From the Business Roundtable’s stakeholder pledge to looming Democratic congressional oversight, the hosts connect CEO restraint, political alignment, and future subpoenas into one coherent warning: narrative drift today becomes document discovery tomorrow. For communications leaders, the episode is a reminder that silence is never neutral, and coherence under scrutiny is the new credibility test. Gift Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-16/american-companies-under-trump-no-longer-have-to-be-good-corporate-citizens Takeaways CEO silence is rarely ideological neutrality; it often reflects perceived regulatory or political constraint. A “state of exception” emerges when public outrage becomes so broad that companies must speak to protect reputation. Silence does not erase risk; over time, it becomes part of the public record and can be interpreted as preference.. Topics Mentioned CEO silence, stakeholder capitalism, Business Roundtable, Trump administration, immigration policy, ICE backlash, congressional oversight, subpoena risk, narrative coherence, alignment signaling, ESG and DEI retreat, reputational restraint, proxy wars, institutional trust Companies Mentioned Business Roundtable, Amazon, Ring, Disney, Hulu, ABC Episode Hashtags #BusinessRoundtable #Amazon #Ring #Disney #Hulu #ABC #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #ReputationManagement #StakeholderCapitalism #CongressionalOversig…","meta_description":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine a Bloomberg column arguing that America’s most powerful CEOs have gone…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1714,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/communication-breakdown-7019931/episodes/silence-subpoenas/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/silence-subpoenas.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}