Focusing on who you are speaking to and what they want to hear before stepping into the public eye can help prevent press conference mishaps.
Media trainer Warren Weeks to discuss Matthew McConaughey’s reaction to the Texas shootings and Jack Del Rio’s inappropriate political commentary. Tuning in you’ll hear why Matthew’s comments on the shootings resonated differently to those of other celebrities, how he justifies being a gun owner while advocating against gun violence, and what feels different about this particular shooting.
We also compare Matthew’s response to that of Meghan Markle’s and consider the possibility that he may want to run for office at some point. Next, we talk about Jack Del Rio’s political commentary and why you should always stay in your lane and train your spokespeople to prevent mishaps.
Key Points From This Episode:
• The changes in the media environment nowadays.
• Matthew McConaughey’s reaction to the shootings and why it’s resonating differently.
• Comparing Matthew’s action to Meghan Markle’s.
• How Matthew justifies being a gun owner and being against gun violence simultaneously.
• What feels different about this school shooting and its impact.
• The importance of staying in your lane.
• Discussing the disregard Jack Del Rio showed in his comments about politics.
• The importance of training your spokespeople and preparing for media confrontation.
• Talking about the possibility of Matthew McConaughey running for office.
Tweetables:
“There are more guns than people in the US.” — @warren_weeks [0:12:11]
“Media train your spokespeople.” —@warren_weeks [0:19:18]
“It’s about mindset and leaders making the decision. You can’t get good at this stuff on the day that it hits the fan, you have to build those muscles ahead of time.” —@warren_weeks [0:21:01]
“Make it about the audience instead of
The media tool I use to track stories, monitor coverage, and help clients get their message in the right hands. Click here to learn more.
Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.
Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
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.
This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.
Follow & Connect with Molly: