{"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":"Tariff Turnabout, Milan Meltdown","slug":"tariff-turnabout-milan-meltdown","published_at":"2026-02-26T14:00:06+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931/tariff-turnabout-milan-meltdown","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/communication-breakdown-7019931","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tariff-turnabout-milan-meltdown--70290436","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/70290436/ep_72_tariff_turnabout_milan_meltdown.mp3","summary":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack the Supreme Court’s 6–3 ruling that last year’s emergency tariffs were illegally imposed, throwing $175 billion in collected duties into legal limbo. They explore what happens next as companies like FedEx and Costco line up for refunds, and why the real story is not about tariffs, but about litigation as a structural feature of today’s policy environment. Craig introduces a new framing, the “BURRITO” cycle to describe bold executive actions that are later invalidated through court orders. The episode closes in Milan, where an Olympic press conference misstep shows how quickly leadership composure can unravel when preparation breaks down . BURRITO: B old U nilateral R egulatory R ollout I nvalidated T hrough O rder s Takeaways Litigation is no longer a disruption to policy. It is a predictable phase companies must model in advance. In a volatile regulatory environment, narrative neutrality and fiduciary framing matter more than political positioning. Refunds are not just financial events. They disrupt supply chains, pricing models, accounting treatment, and stakeholder expectations. Topics Mentioned Tariff policy, Supreme Court ruling, corporate litigation strategy, risk management, narrative neutrality, fiduciary responsibility, supply chain disruption, refund strategy, expectation setting, Olympic governance, crisis preparation, leadership composure Companies Mentioned Costco, Revlon, FedEx, Walmart, Harvard University, Steve Madden, International Olympic Committee, The New York Times Episode Hashtags #Costco #Revlon #FedEx #Walmart #HarvardUniversity #SteveMadden #InternationalOlympicCommittee #NewYorkTimes #Tariffs #SupremeCourt #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CrisisManagem…","meta_description":"In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack the Supreme Court’s 6–3 ruling that last year’s emergency tariffs were…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1391,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/communication-breakdown-7019931/episodes/tariff-turnabout-milan-meltdown/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/tariff-turnabout-milan-meltdown.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}