PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights
Welcome to a special Friday edition of Popular Information, a newsletter dedicated to accountability journalism. A massive public relations firm, Zeno, is privately advising its high-profile corporate clients to avoid commenting on the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, according to an internal communication obtained by Popular Information. Zeno is a multinational company with almost $120 million in annual revenue and a roster of blue-chip corporate clients including Coca-Cola, Salesforce, Hershey's, Netflix, and Starbucks. Zeno is also a subsidiary of Edelman, the world's largest public relations conglomerate. According to Zeno CEO Barby Siegel, the firm's mission is to "champion the courageous to achieve something better for humankind." That mission is not reflected in an email sent to Zeno staff this week by Katie Cwayna, Zeno's Executive Vice President for Media Strategy. Cwayna's message includes "a template email to share with client contacts" regarding the leaked Supreme Court opinion which would end all constitutional protections for abortion rights. The template tells clients that "the media" and others "will look for corporations to take a stand and make their views known." Zeno's advice, however, is to keep quiet:
(While Cwayna claims overturning Roe is a "50/50" issue, 72% of Americans oppose overturning Roe, according to a January poll by Marquette Law School.) In the email template, Zeno warns corporations that inquiries from the media about reproductive rights should be ignored to avoid attracting attention:
Zeno is also advising companies to avoid pitching "breaking news networks/outlets" on any topic because these outlets might use the opportunity to ask about the Roe decision:
In a section of the template email devoted to social media, Zeno again emphasizes the importance of not responding to any questions about a company's position on reproductive rights:
The advice in the template email contrasts with Zeno's public facing communications, which emphasize the importance of standing up for women's rights. Zeno is proud to support #InternationalWomensDay. Here’s to all of the #fearless women around the world who continue to #PressForProgress 💜💛 In a March 2021 statement posted to its corporate website, Zeno said that everyone must make "a commitment to a gender equal world" and that includes "speaking up in the face of inequality":
The statement quotes various leaders at Zeno talking about their commitment to women's rights. A senior account supervisor focuses on the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, known for her fierce advocacy for reproductive rights. "Notorious RBG shattered glass ceilings, broke down doors and held them open for the rest of us," the supervisor wrote. Now, with the constitutional rights of women in grave danger, Zeno is giving their clients — which also include Kia Motors, Astra-Zeneca, AT&T, ASICS, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Phillips Health, Corona, Pizza Hut, Prudential, and Leveno — the opposite advice. If Edelman and other PR firms are doling out similar recommendations, it may explain why so few companies that publicly champion women's rights have spoken out about the expected repeal of Roe. Popular Information contacted Siegel, Cwayna and three other Zeno executives regarding the template email and did not receive a response. Popular Information does not have a paywall because we don't want the ability to pay to be a barrier to access this reporting. But, to maintain our independence, we also don't accept any advertising and rely exclusively on support from readers. Please consider supporting this work with a paid subscription. |
Older messages
What corporations are saying about the end of constitutional protections for abortion
Thursday, May 5, 2022
Corporations can play a critical role in pushing back against state action that undermines fundamental rights. In 2016, for example, the Georgia legislature passed a bill that would have allowed
These 13 corporations have spent $15 million supporting anti-abortion politicians since 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
A draft Supreme Court opinion, published by Politico on Monday evening, would strike down Roe v. Wade — eliminating the constitutional protections for abortion that have been in place for 48 years. “
The two flavors of Republican candidates in the 2022 primaries
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
There are two primary flavors of Republican candidates in 2022, and they are competing to be the Republican gubernatorial nominee in Georgia. The first type of candidate is represented by former
Elon Musk's China problem
Monday, May 2, 2022
"The expansion of shelter-in-place, or as we call it, forcibly imprisoning people in their homes… is, in my opinion, breaking people's freedoms in ways that are horrible and wrong… What the
Major corporations quietly funnel millions to national group behind regressive state laws
Thursday, April 28, 2022
Republican state legislators across the country have embraced an aggressively regressive agenda, targeting the LGBTQ community, abortion access, voting rights, and candid discussions of race in
You Might Also Like
Monday Briefing: Plans for Gaza’s future
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Plus, European countries crack down on China's influence. View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition April 29, 2024 Author Headshot By
Guest Newsletter: Five Books
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Five Books features in-depth author interviews recommending five books on a theme Guest Newsletter: Five Books By Sylvia Bishop • 28 Apr 2024 View in browser View in browser Five Books features in-
GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire. ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Science Firsthand: Learn how Bristol
🍿 The Hardy Boys on Acid
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Plus: 'The Lord of the Rings' Extended Cut is returning to theaters.
10 Things That Delighted Us: From Cardboard Bed Frames to Compact Makeup Stacks
Sunday, April 28, 2024
The most useful, thoughtful, and just plain fun things we uncovered this week. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may
LEVER WEEKLY: Pentagon Grifts And Zombie Pipelines
Sunday, April 28, 2024
From insurance meltdowns and zombie pipelines to Pentagon grifts, here's all the news from The Lever this week. LEVER WEEKLY: Pentagon Grifts And Zombie Pipelines By The Lever • 28 Apr 2024 View in
Birds
Sunday, April 28, 2024
So hot right now ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
An urgent deadline is looming, and we’re short
Sunday, April 28, 2024
No donation is too large or too small. If there's one thing we've learned in the decade since The Intercept was founded, it's this: When you're taking on the biggest and most powerful
☕ 24/7
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Should the stock market be open 24 hours? Presented by ZitSticka April 28, 2024 | View Online | Sign Up | Shop The Spiral Bookstore in Guangzhou, China. John Ricky/Anadolu via Getty Images BROWSING
Open Thread 327
Sunday, April 28, 2024
... ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏