In a dynamic and ever-changing communications landscape, one voice stood out on the hilltop: Molly McPherson, a nationally recognized crisis and reputation strategist. McPherson spoke to students as part of a panel with South by Southwest (SXSW) in Jones Auditorium. With over 570,000 TikTok followers and decades of experience in the industry, McPherson delivered a compelling fireside chat to students and professionals on how to navigate modern crises in an age of digital media.
McPherson, often dubbed a “force of nature” in PR circles, didn’t hold back during the panel hosted by Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the Department of Communication. With narratives ranging from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster zones to a celebrity fallout on TikTok, she unpacked what it means to build trust, maintain integrity and respond with accountability in the face of public backlash.
“Every crisis comes down to fear,” McPherson said. “Fear of exposure, fear of loss. Fear drives the backlash — and the response.”
At the heart of McPherson’s strategy is her “Indestructible PR Framework” — a model born from her work at FEMA that emphasizes three key pillars: Own it, Explain it and Promise it. She believes brands and individuals can survive even the most brutal cancellations if they lean into authenticity, accountability and clear communication.
She used singer Lizzo’s recent controversy involving her dancers as a case study. The singer’s legal team relied on an outdated crisis playbook, one suited for a pre-social media era, which McPherson argued only worsened the situation, deeming it the “Lizzo effect.”
She pointed out how over-involved legal input can hinder the recovery of reputation, a misstep that can cost organizations public trust – the one currency that truly matters during a crisis. When it comes to legal entanglements, McPherson emphasized that lawyers should be consulted, not lead the crisis response.
“Lawyers aren’t risk managers; communicators are,” she said. “Empathy and accountability don’t necessarily lead to liability, especially when done right.”
McPherson was quick to highlight that corporate and celebrity crises follow the same emotional blueprint. Whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or a pop star, the patterns of betrayal, backlash and attempted redemption remain consistent. Social media has simply made these crises more visible and more receptive to turbulent communication.
“Public opinion moves fast,” she said. “And if you don’t control the narrative, it will control you.”
Equally important is not forgetting about internal communication. McPherson emphasized that many crises begin within an organization. These internal stakeholders are frequently overlooked, yet they play a critical role in both the formation and resolution of crises. Addressing internal communication proactively is not just strategic, but essential.
“Almost every crisis I work on starts internally,” she said. “Employees, culture and internal stakeholders are often overlooked. But they matter most.”
Touching on the role of artificial intelligence, McPherson called it a game-changer; AI is here to stay. While AI has streamlined many parts of her workflow, like brainstorming ideas, strategizing and expanding upon thoughts, she warned students not to rely on it for crafting sincere responses.
McPherson’s own journey into crisis communications wasn’t paved by design or through teaching – it fell into her lap. From documenting disaster survivors to pioneering social media at FEMA, she was a “backpack journalist” before the term even existed, her career was built on curiosity, resilience and a refusal to stay stagnant.
Cressida Rodriguez, president of the chapter of PRSSA at St. Edward’s, highlights a topic that she found interesting from the event.
“I thought it was very interesting how Molly brought up the fact that the position of crisis communication is not an actual role,” Rodriguez said. “It is something that comes within a job such as risk management.”
After talking about her journey with crisis communications, McPherson closed out the chat with advice that she wished she would have known when she started for students hoping to break into the field.
“You can’t major in crisis comms and walk into the job. It doesn’t exist,” she said. “But every job has a crisis component. Be the person who knows how to restore trust. That’s who gets called into the room.”
