What happens when an army of people begins to dig to solve a mystery?

They quickly find answers.

The intense interest in the Gabby Petito missing case (now murder) also led to an intense interest in discovering why the case became such a sensational news story.

The answer: social media sleuthing

Young, social media-savvy women used TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to desperately get to the bottom of what happened to the 22-year-old who documented her travels to state and national parks with her boyfriend / fiancé Brian Laundrie for their YouTube channel and Instagram.

The same desire to help find the Gabby Petito killer is also used to investigate any wrongdoing by a company, organization or leadership.

In this episode, connecting true crime obsession to why communicators must be a little obsessed with the online digging of their customers.

And why social media sleuthing can bring it all down quickly if you have something to hide.

Three ways to mitigate and control the chaos when people decide to start digging around about your organization.

Listen + Subscribe Stitcher or Apple Podcasts

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.

Follow Molly on Substack
Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter
Subscribe to Molly's Live Events Calendar.

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.

Follow & Connect with Molly:

154: Why Social Media Sleuthing Can Bring it All Down Quickly