News/Commentary

Business mag strong-arms corps into taking abortion survey, vowing to ‘disclose’ those who decline

May 15, 2022 | | Print Article

Just as it seemed as if corporations were going to keep their views on abortion to themselves, a business mag is reportedly forcing corporate PR departments to either participate in an abortion “survey” or face getting their company’s names published on a “declined to participate” list.

First reported last week by author Vivek Ramaswamy, Fast Company “is calling corporate PR departments and twisting their arms to take public stances on abortion.”

“They phrase it as a ‘poll’ of corporate leaders, and if they hesitate, they follow up by telling them they’ll publish that the company declined to participate,” Ramaswamy tweeted, calling the strong-arm technique, “More corporate advocacy, thinly veiled as ‘journalism.'”

As American Wire previously reported, corporate America has stayed largely silent on abortion after Disney got woke-whomped in Florida over Governor Ron DeSantis’s Parental Rights in Education legislation — a.k.a., the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

As Disney’s stocks tumbled, PR giant Zeno Group, whose client list includes such multi-billion-dollar corporations as Coca-Cola, AT&T, and Starbucks, sent an email warning companies that speaking out on the Supreme Court draft leak could be a “no-win” situation.

“Do not take a stance you cannot reverse, especially when the decision is not final,” cautioned Zeno Group’s Executive Vice President for Media Strategy, Katie Cwayna. “This topic is a textbook ’50/50′ issue. Subjects that divide the country can sometimes be no-win situations for companies because regardless of what they do they will alienate at least 15 to 30 percent of their stakeholders.”

“Do not assume,” Cwayna urged, “that all of your employees, customers or investors share your view.”

Apparently, Fast Company didn’t get the memo. The magazine started prodding companies to take a public stand on abortion back in March, weeks before Justice Alito’s draft opinion, indicating the Supreme Court would likely reverse its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, was leaked, according to Fox News.

“In an email to one of the companies seen by Fox News, Fast Company says it is working on an ‘editorial package’ about ‘how corporate silence on abortion impacts employees’ and ‘what responsibility of businesses should be when it comes to abortion care and access,'” reports Fox, adding that the survey asked about companies’ “positions and policies” on “abortion care.”

If a company elected not to participate in the survey, Fast Company warned, “we do plan to disclose whether or not companies engaged with the survey.”

“This isn’t journalism,” tweeted digital content and advertising strategist Josh Mesker. “It’s political activism.”

Many online agreed with Mesker.

“I’d call it extortion!” exclaimed one user. “Maybe all those businesses that they contacted could bring a class action suit to sue them and put that magazine out of business.”

“Business Magazine Fast Company should be sued for Blackmail, Attempted Corporate Sabotage, Stalking!” cried another.

“So, @FastCompany is using coercion to gain ‘opinions,'” tweeted a third. “If you can’t beat them, use subversion.”

But not everyone thinks appearing on Fast Company’s “declined to participate” list would be a bad thing.

“They act as if the companies that refused would suffer by loss of business,” tweeted one user. “They’d probably see their business increase.”

“Any company so disclosed will benefit from my business,” one user promised.

And Nate Madden has stated he will go out of his way to support the business on that list.

“I’ll do my best to throw some business at whomever tells these hall monitor clowns to eff off,” he vowed. “I don’t need politics in or around my socks and body wash et al, thx.”

 

Melissa Fine
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