The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson The "When Your Back is Up Against the Wall" Response: The Friends of Jeffrey Epstein
The revelation that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was facing sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 left a wake of fear among many big wheels who considered Epstein - at one time or another - a friend. From Washington D.C. to Manhattan, to even (gulp) The Palace, people who have a history with Epstein needed to say something, and say it quickly.
A lot of well-known people connected with him have been scrambling for the appropriate response for socializing with a convicted sex offender.
This podcast is about media response and messaging. To be clear: It is NOT a how-to for messaging your way out of the revelation you have a friendship with a convicted sex offender. It’s analyzing how people in the public space messaged their way out of the disclosure they had an association with a convicted sex offender.
In other words, what messaging works when your back is up against the wall, and what messaging hurts.
Mentioned in This Episode:
“IT’S GOING TO BE STAGGERING, THE AMOUNT OF NAMES”: AS THE JEFFREY EPSTEIN CASE GROWS MORE GROTESQUE, MANHATTAN AND DC BRACE FOR IMPACT. Source: Vanity Fair, Gabriel Sherman, July 17, 2019
“Squad” photo on Instagram. Source: @ocasio2018
“Trump says he tried to stop the ‘Send her back!’ chant. Here’s what happened. Source: PBS NewsHour
President Trump discusses his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in The Oval Office.
About Molly
Molly McPherson, M.S., AP
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