The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson 236: The Dalai Lama Responds: Analyzing the Intent Behind the PR Statement
It’s not often that one of the world’s most admired spiritual leaders who describes himself as an advocate for warm-heartedness, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, and self-discipline finds himself in the midst of a PR crisis.
A video filmed in February 2023 of the Dalai Lama asking a young boy to ‘suck’ his tongue went viral in April. Although some people have argued that there has been a cultural misunderstanding, the overwhelming majority of responses have been vehemently critical. In this episode, you will hear a line-by-line dissection of the very problematic public apology that the Dalai Lama made in the wake of the negative responses to the video.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The video that led the Dalai Lama to receive a lot of negative attention in the media.
- Who the Dalai Lama is and the values that he advocates for.
- Controversial statements that the Dalai Lama has made in the past.
- The argument in defense of the Dalai Lama’s actions in the video.
- The overwhelming response that the video received.
- How the Dalai Lama publicly responded to the outcry about the video.
- Problems with the Dalai Lama’s public apology.
- Unpacking the DARVO strategy.
- Tactics that should always be avoided in public responses.
- Advice on what to do if you are involved in an incident that goes viral.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Dalai Lama apologizes after video asking boy to ‘suck my tongue’
Dalai Lama apologizes after video show him asking boy to ‘suck my tongue’
If you work in strategy or communication, join Molly on December 17 at 12 PM ET for a 60-minute live media training that breaks down a crisis in real time. RFK Jr is being hit from two sides at once. Now Olivia Nuzzi’s memoir is out, weeks after Tatiana Schlossberg’s essay landed a punch. We'll walk through the headlines, the data, the sentiment, press coverage, then map out what a competent response would actually look like. Click here to attend.
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