The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson If Your Group Chat Praises Hitler, You Don’t Have a PR Problem, You Have a You Problem
When Politico dropped nearly 3,000 pages of leaked Telegram messages from the Young Republican National Federation, it revealed a disturbing culture behind closed doors. In this episode, Molly McPherson unpacks why private chats are never really private, how weak apologies deepen a crisis, and what this scandal teaches every leader about accountability, ethics, and reputation in the digital age.
Key Discussion Points:
- The leaked Telegram chat that destroyed the Young Republican National Federation’s credibility
- Why “kids will be kids” is not a defense when adults hold positions of power
- The myth of online privacy and how “anonymous” messages are always traceable
- How a values gap—what an organization says publicly vs. what it allows privately—leads to crisis
- Dissecting the failed apologies that followed the leak
- Molly’s five “PR truths” for digital-age leadership:
- The difference between genuine accountability and PR spin
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