Mr Beast is a huge influencer with a multi-million person audience and a multi-hundred million dollar revenue stream. Some of his teammates have allegedly behaved very poorly. What should he do to preserve his reputation and the upward swing of his YouTube channel?

Also

• An aerospace company stranded astronauts on the international space station
• A giant meat recall
• A antional sports team using drones to spy on competitiors
• A US presidential candidate plays a prank with dead wildlife

And

• Why is it called ‘The Crisis Beat’?
• Existential and espistemological musings about our different feeds and news sources creating two streams of truth; and the general believability of news

Join us for another exciting episode and don’t forget to subscribe!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Crisis Beat, Episode 22, Hosts Brady Wood, a business owner and PR professional, and Dr. Mark Crowther, Chair of Medicine at McMaster University, are back together after Mark’s recent adventures.

Main Topic: The Secret Service in the Spotlight

The episode delves into the ongoing controversy surrounding the U.S. Secret Service, particularly focusing on the Senate hearings involving Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

Key Events:

• July 13: A Trump rally in Pennsylvania saw an assassination attempt by Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old. The Secret Service’s response, especially regarding the security of a building with a sloped roof, comes under intense scrutiny.
• July 22: Cheatle is subpoenaed to appear before the Senate. Key issues include her handling of the situation, the decision not to use a counter-sniper, and her statements about the sloped roof, which lacked clear policy support.
• July 23: Cheatle resigns amid growing criticism and calls for accountability.
• July 30: Acting Director Donald Rowe testifies, facing tough questions from Senator Josh Hawley about disciplinary actions and internal communication failures.

Breaking News Briefs:

• CrowdStrike Outage: Discussion on the recent widespread outage impacting critical systems, emphasizing the importance of proactive crisis management.
• Activist Targeting: Tips on how organizations can prepare for being targeted by activists.
• Food Recall Best Practices: Best practices for navigating recall communications.

Takeaways:

• Understanding and addressing issues in detail is crucial. If unsure, acknowledge it clearly.
• Accountability and transparency are key—avoid equivocation and be clear about processes and timelines.
• Leaders should demonstrate personal due diligence and make themselves available to address issues directly.

The episode wraps up with reflections on the importance of clear communication and accountability in crisis situations, and the need for robust response strategies in both internal and external crises.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of Crisis Beat, hosts Brady Wood and Dr. Mark Crowther dive into a fascinating thought experiment that explores the idea of rebranding the Tyrannosaurus Rex’s public image. The episode begins with the hosts introducing themselves and giving shout-outs to their loyal listeners, setting a casual and engaging tone. They then quickly move through some breaking news stories, touching on topics like Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles, Elon Musk’s latest scientific feud, and the challenges facing Boeing’s new CEO. These updates serve as a warm-up to the main event, which is both unexpected and intriguing: how to reshape the public narrative of one of history’s most famous dinosaurs.

The heart of the episode is a creative exploration of how the T. Rex, typically seen as the ultimate predator, could be portrayed in a new light. Brady and Mark discuss how the T. Rex's image could be softened by focusing on its potential parental behaviors and ecological significance, moving away from its fearsome reputation. They propose a multifaceted strategy that includes educational campaigns, media partnerships, and interactive experiences to highlight these lesser-known aspects of the T. Rex. The idea is to shift public perception from seeing the T. Rex solely as a ruthless carnivore to appreciating its complex role in the prehistoric ecosystem.

To add depth to their discussion, the hosts also touch on Marshall Ganz’s framework for public narrative, explaining how storytelling can be used to inspire change. They break down the components of Ganz’s approach—Story of Self, Story of Us, and Story of Now—and discuss how these elements could be employed in rebranding efforts not just for the T. Rex, but for any entity facing a crisis in public perception. By the end of the episode, listeners are left with a fresh perspective on how narratives are constructed and the power they hold in shaping public opinion.

Crisis Beat closes with Brady and Mark reflecting on the broader implications of their thought experiment, suggesting that the lessons learned from reimagining the T. Rex’s image could be applied to real-world public relations challenges. Their conversation is a reminder of the importance of narrative in defining how we understand the world around us, whether it’s the story of a prehistoric predator or a modern-day corporation.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.