The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

192: A Week in Press Conferences: The Good and Not So Good with Warren Weeks


Listen Later

 Focusing on who you are speaking to and what they want to hear before stepping into the public eye can help prevent press conference mishaps.

Media trainer Warren Weeks to discuss Matthew McConaughey’s reaction to the Texas shootings and Jack Del Rio’s inappropriate political commentary. Tuning in you’ll hear why Matthew’s comments on the shootings resonated differently to those of other celebrities, how he justifies being a gun owner while advocating against gun violence, and what feels different about this particular shooting. 

We also compare Matthew’s response to that of Meghan Markle’s and consider the possibility that he may want to run for office at some point. Next, we talk about Jack Del Rio’s political commentary and why you should always stay in your lane and train your spokespeople to prevent mishaps. 

 

Key Points From This Episode: 

•    The changes in the media environment nowadays. 

•    Matthew McConaughey’s reaction to the shootings and why it’s resonating differently. 

•    Comparing Matthew’s action to Meghan Markle’s. 

•    How Matthew justifies being a gun owner and being against gun violence simultaneously. 

•    What feels different about this school shooting and its impact. 

•    The importance of staying in your lane. 

•    Discussing the disregard Jack Del Rio showed in his comments about politics. 

•    The importance of training your spokespeople and preparing for media confrontation. 

•    Talking about the possibility of Matthew McConaughey running for office. 

 

Tweetables: 

 

“There are more guns than people in the US.” — @warren_weeks [0:12:11] 

 

“Media train your spokespeople.” —@warren_weeks [0:19:18] 

 

“It’s about mindset and leaders making the decision. You can’t get good at this stuff on the day that it hits the fan, you have to build those muscles ahead of time.” —@warren_weeks [0:21:01] 

 

“Make it about the audience instead of about yourself or your organization and all of the other content pieces, I find, tend to fall more easily into place.” —@warren_weeks [0:28:26] 

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

 

Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.

Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media

Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.


Follow & Connect with Molly:

  • https://www.youtube.com/mollymcpherson
  • https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcpherson
  • https://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollymcpherson/

© 2025 The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The PR Breakdown with Molly McPhersonBy www.mollymcpherson.com

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

168 ratings


More shows like The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

View all
Next Question with Katie Couric by iHeartPodcasts

Next Question with Katie Couric

4,904 Listeners

Pod Save America by Crooked Media

Pod Save America

86,172 Listeners

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard by Armchair Umbrella

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

68,769 Listeners

Work in Progress with Sophia Bush by iHeartPodcasts

Work in Progress with Sophia Bush

3,083 Listeners

SmartLess by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett

SmartLess

57,705 Listeners

what i will say by Bop Culture

what i will say

331 Listeners

Celebrity Memoir Book Club by Vox Media Podcast Network

Celebrity Memoir Book Club

6,282 Listeners

Dear Chelsea by iHeartPodcasts

Dear Chelsea

3,791 Listeners

Beyond The Blinds by Cloud10

Beyond The Blinds

3,076 Listeners

FluentlyForward by CAKE MEDIA

FluentlyForward

2,174 Listeners

It’s Become a Whole Thing by The Sonar Network

It’s Become a Whole Thing

366 Listeners

Hello Hayes by Alexandra Hayes Robinson

Hello Hayes

212 Listeners

All The Fails with Jenny Mollen by Jenny mollen

All The Fails with Jenny Mollen

119 Listeners

What's Your Issue? by Dara Laine Sussman and Troy McEady

What's Your Issue?

233 Listeners

Diabolical Lies by Katie Gatti Tassin & Caro Claire Burke

Diabolical Lies

339 Listeners