Rephonic
Artwork for Communication Breakdown
Donald Trump
Target
Mcdonald's
Trump Administration
Elon Musk
Tariffs
Costco
Trump
Harvard University
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Artificial Intelligence
Palantir
Corporate Reputation
Public Relations
Crisis Communication
Diversity Initiatives
Walmart
United Airlines
Alex Karp
Cracker Barrel

Communication Breakdown is a postgame show for PR pros. In each episode, hosts Craig Carroll (Founder of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation, Editor of the SAGE Encyclopedia of Corporate Reputation, Lecturer at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business) and Steve Dowling (former head of communications at OpenAI and Apple) discuss the strategies and tactics companies are usin... more

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Artwork for Communication Breakdown

Latest Episodes

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine MrBeast’s 500 million YouTube subscriber milestone and the reputation challenges that come with creator scale. They look at how Jimmy Donaldson managed a live-stream ... more

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll revisit recent essays from Craig and Steve on corporate communications, media scrutiny, and the strategic role of the comms function. Craig breaks down his argument tha... more

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll return to BP’s boardroom battle with former chairman Albert Manifold. After being dismissed over governance, oversight, and conduct concerns, Manifold fires back with a... more

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll unpack two corporate reputation problems where leadership, governance, and messaging collided under pressure. First, they examine Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters’ “lower ... more

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Recent Guests

Hunter Hess
Freestyle skier representing the USA at the winter games
Team USA
Episode: The Outspoken Olympians
Chloe Kim
Snowboarder and Olympic medalist
Team USA
Episode: The Outspoken Olympians
Christopher Lilis
Ski athlete at the winter games
Team USA
Episode: The Outspoken Olympians
Svea Irving
Ski competitor at the winter games
Team USA
Episode: The Outspoken Olympians
Katie Miller
Former employee of Elon Musk and co-host of a podcast
Episode: He’s Back...
Gwyneth Paltrow
Actress and entrepreneur
Goop
Episode: Thank You For Your Interest In Transparency
Andre Schulten
Chief Financial Officer at Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Episode: Thank You For Your Interest In Transparency
Rob Jekielek
Managing Director at Harris Poll
Harris Poll
Episode: Breaking Down the 2025 Axios Harris Poll Reputation Rankings
Hannah Wong
Chief Communications Officer at OpenAI and Beyoncé superfan
OpenAI
Episode: Lessons from Beyoncé’s Grammy Wins

Hosts

Steve Dowling
Co-host with extensive leadership in communications at major tech companies; former head of communications at OpenAI and Apple; affiliated with the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.
Craig Carroll
Co-host and Founder of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation; researcher and lecturer with deep involvement in reputation studies and corporate communications.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Thanks for (saying) nothing
Q: What are the best practices for companies to think about the message they're sending even when they're saying nothing?
Companies should show activity without creating exposure, signaling that they're engaged without exposing themselves to risk.
Narrative Contradiction
Q: What are some good examples to look at of consequences from narrative contradiction?
Consequences manifest in four significant ways: regulatory risk, investor pressure, reputation erosion, and operational paralysis.
Strategic Fidgeting—When Everything’s Important, and Nothing’s Urgent
Q: What's the signal that you've learned to watch for yourself that says, this isn't clarity, it's just restlessness?
For me, the red flag is complexity. When we feel we need to be busy, there's an instinct to just start adding stuff and it leads to unnecessary complexity.
Harvard Turns the Tables on Trump
Q: Could an institution like Columbia or UCLA or the University of Minnesota have been just as defiant and rallied the troops as effectively, or did it have to be Harvard?
The honest answer is probably not in the same way, but maybe in their own way.
Q2 Chaos and the 90 Day Review
Q: How much of a mindset shift should this be for CCOs?
It's less about making a dramatic reset and more about making a deliberate one, ensuring they are not just drifting.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Communication Breakdown

What is Communication Breakdown about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A postgame show for PR professionals, focusing on how high-visibility crises and corporate communications unfold in real time. Hosts bring complementary perspectives—one with deep academic grounding in reputation and governance, the other with hands-on experience leading corporate communications at major tech companies—and dissect real-world moments to extract practical strategies. Episodes frequently center on crisis management, investor relations, internal communications, measurement of narrative momentum, and governance signals, offering concrete takeaways for messaging discipline, transparency, and stakeholder alignment. A standout feature is the deliberate emphasis on governance signals, audience-readiness, and the balance between rapi... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Communication Breakdown?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Communication Breakdown:

1. The Daily
2. Up First from NPR
3. The Wirecutter Show
4. Hard Fork
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of Communication Breakdown are there?

Communication Breakdown launched 2 years ago and published 88 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Communication Breakdown?

Recent guests on Communication Breakdown include:

1. Hunter Hess
2. Chloe Kim
3. Christopher Lilis
4. Svea Irving
5. Katie Miller
6. Gwyneth Paltrow
7. Andre Schulten
8. Rob Jekielek

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