The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson 203: Beloved CTV Anchor Lisa LaFlamme's Botched Firing by Bell Media
Ageism, sexism, bad management, and incredibly poor messaging, today’s PR crisis has it all!
This week’s podcast focuses on Bell Media’s ousting of Lisa LaFlamme and her replacement by a younger male, shortly after the beloved CTV Anchor allowed herself to go gray.
Let's discuss Lisa’s PR masterpiece of a response video and Bell Media’s well-written but completely inadequate response statement. While a private company has the right to hire and fire whomever they choose, decisions like these affect the public, and if not handled correctly, this could be detrimental to a company’s continued support and ultimately their bottom line. This podcast looks at the importance of truth and transparency in a PR response, and when a statement should be replaced by an apology. Tune in to hear the statement Bell Media put out, why it was a bad statement, why it created such a blowback, and how the statement should have been written to avert a PR crisis.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Today’s topic: the PR nightmare associated with Bell Media’s firing of CTV anchor Lisa LaFlamme and why their statement was inadequate.
- Some previous examples of anchors being let go and the resulting PR crises.
- The implications of how Lisa LaFlamme was fired shortly after allowing herself to go gray.
- The problem of the lack of transparency on the part of Bell Media regarding why they fired Lisa.
- Lisa LaFlamme’s video response and why it’s a PR masterpiece.
- Why does a situation like this call for an apology, not a statement?
- Who was hurt by Bell Media’s decision.
- The biggest problem with Bell Media’s statement.
- The legal implications of making an apology or accepting responsibility.
- How an apology can help you regain trust, reduce liability, and be an effective business decision.
- How Bell Media’s apology should have been written.
- The Indestructible PR tip for the day relating to the importance of the first line in any response statement.
- Closing words on why you should never fire women of a certain age.
Where in the World is Matt Lauer’s Re
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: