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May 6 • 17 tweets • 14 min read
BREAKING: A massive PR firm that represents high-profile corporations like @CocaCola, @Netflix, & @Starbucks is privately advising its clients to avoid commenting on abortion rights, according to an internal email obtained by popular.info

🧵

Popular Information Independent accountability journalism. Click to read Popular Information, a Substack publication. http://popular.info
PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
@mentions@CocaCola @netflix @Starbucks 2. The firm, @zenogroup, created "a template email to share with client contacts."

The template warns that the media "will look for corporations to take a stand" on the repeal of Roe

Zeno recommends its clients stay silent

PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
@mentions@CocaCola @netflix @Starbucks @zenogroup 3. The template email, drafted by a top Zeno executive, says abortion is "a textbook '50/50' issue" and a "no-win situation[] for companies." It says silence is best because any statement "will alienate at least 15 to 30 percent of their stakeholders"

popular.info/p/pr-giant-adv…
PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
@mentions@CocaCola @netflix @Starbucks @zenogroup 4. Zeno warns corporations that inquiries from the media about reproductive rights should be ignored to avoid attracting attention: "[B]eing at the center is not advisable"

popular.info/p/pr-giant-adv…
PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
5. In a section of Zeno's template to clients devoted to social media, the PR firm says companies should "not engage with direct questions about your company’s position" on abortion rights and "not respond to questions about where your company stands"

PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
6. Zeno is a subsidiary of @EdelmanPR, the world's largest PR conglomerate. Zeno's private advice to clients sharply contrasts with Zeno's public-facing communications, which emphasize the importance of standing up for women's rights

popular.info/p/pr-giant-adv…
PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
@mentions@EdelmanPR 7. In a March 2021 statement posted to its corporate website, @zenogroup said that everyone must make "a commitment to a gender equal world" and that includes "speaking up in the face of inequality"

"Notorious RBG shattered glass ceilings"

popular.info/p/pr-giant-adv…
PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
8. Other clients of @Zenogroup include @kia, @AstraZeneca, @ATT, @ASICSamerica @MiracleGro, @pizzahut, @coronaextrausa, @Prudential, and @Lenovo

Popular.info contacted five @zenogroup executives for comment and none responded

Popular Information Independent accountability journalism. Click to read Popular Information, a Substack publication. http://Popular.info
PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
9. If other PR firms, including @EdelmanPR, are doling out similar advice it may explain why so few corporations that publicly champion women's rights have spoken out about the expected repeal of Roe

PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
10. If you have information about how PR firms or corporations are handling the repeal of Roe, please contact me. (DMs open, ask for Signal).

For updates subscribe to the Popular Information newsletter

It's free to sign up

Popular Information Independent accountability journalism. Click to read Popular Information, a Substack publication. http://popular.info/subscribe
11. UPDATE: @zenogroup CEO Barby Siegel responds to popular.info's reporting. Siegel confirms the authenticity of the email and says "its intent was to counsel clients to be measured in their immediate response to a complex developing story."

Popular Information Independent accountability journalism. Click to read Popular Information, a Substack publication. http://popular.info
PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
12. Seigel says Zeno's email reflects that it takes "seriously our responsibility to help clients proactively navigate complex societal issues" but "does not accurately reflect Zeno’s position or the range of counsel that we are providing to clients"

PR giant advising corporate clients to stay silent on abortion rights 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… https://popular.info/p/pr-giant-advising-corporate-clients?s=w
13. @zenogroup also responded via their Twitter account:
14. AD AGE: EDELMAN UNIT ADVISES CLIENTS TO STAY SILENT ON ABORTION DEBATE, PER LEAKED AGENCY MEMO

Edelman unit advises clients to stay silent on abortion debate, per leaked agency memo PR giant Edelman's Zeno Group is being called out for counseling corporations to lay low on the latest social controversy that could rock the business community. https://adage.com/article/agency-news/edelmans-zeno-group-pr-firm-advises-silence-roe-v-wade/2416351
15. NEWSWEEK: Starbucks, Coca Cola, Netflix Told to Stay Mum on Abortion Rights: Report

Starbucks, Coca Cola, Netflix told to stay mum on abortion rights: report Some large corporations were reportedly advised against commenting on the leak of a draft Supreme Court majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. https://www.newsweek.com/pr-company-told-companies-not-comment-abortion-coca-cola-netflix-starbucks-1704399
16. PR WEEK: Zeno criticized for advising clients to keep quiet about abortion rights stand

Zeno criticized for advising clients to keep quiet about abortion rights stance https://www.prweek.com/article/1755192/zeno-criticized-advising-clients-keep-quiet-abortion-rights-stance
17. UPDATE: @zenogroup tells @BusinessInsider that describing the repeal of Roe as a "50/50 issue" was "a poor choice of words."

A PR firm that works with Netflix and Starbucks quietly advised clients to 'not take a stance' on abortion rights, a report says PR firm Zeno told clients to stay quiet on the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade but said it believes it's a woman's right to choose their healthcare. https://www.businessinsider.com/zeno-pr-company-abortion-rights-roe-v-wade-overturn-2022-5

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More from @JuddLegum

Judd Legum Profile picture
May 7
1. It's official: @GovRonDeSantis perpetrated a hoax, falsely claiming that dozens of math book publishers attempted to indoctrinate Florida students with Critical Race Theory

He knew this was false

But figured he could get away with it

Follow this 🧵if interested
@GovRonDeSantis 2. On April 15 the FL Dept of Education issued a release: "Florida Rejects Publishers’ Attempts to Indoctrinate Students"

DeSantis said publishers included "indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students

That was a lie Image
3. On April 21, Popular Information obtained 8 of the rejected textbooks and found no examples of CRT or race essentialism for high school students or anyone else.

We now know a lot more. And it completely exposes DeSantis.

popular.info/p/inside-the-d…
Read 11 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
May 5
1. Corporations can play a critical role pushing back against state overreach

Corporations were able to force North Carolina to repeal its “bathroom bill” in 2017

But with 20+ states poised to ban most abortions, just 3 companies have spoken out

🧵

popular.info/p/what-corpora…
2. @Levis: “Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees. That means protecting reproductive rights”

popular.info/p/what-corpora…
3. @Virgin: “[E]veryone should have the right to a safe abortion if they choose to have one. It’s a personal choice that no government should interfere with.”

popular.info/p/what-corpora…
Read 8 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
May 4
1. Abortion rights for millions will evaporate because anti-abortion politicians have accumulated immense power at the state & federal level

Accumulating that much power is very expensive

Cash from major corporations helped make this happen

🧵

popular.info/p/these-13-cor…
2. To overturn Roe and ban abortion, you need control of the US Senate, state legislatures, and governorships

The three primary committees dedicated to electing anti-abortion politicians to those positions are the @NRSC, @RSLC, and @GOPGovs

popular.info/p/these-13-cor…
3. A popular.info investigation finds that 13 major companies have donated $15.2 million to these three anti-abortion committees just since 2016.

These companies publicly present themselves as champions for women's empowerment and equality

popular.info/p/these-13-cor…
Read 7 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
May 3
1. If the Supreme Court issues a decision repealing Roe, it will eviscerate abortion rights immediately in ~20 states

That's because state officials have enacted laws banning abortion on Roe's repeal

Major corporations are funding the politicians & groups behind these laws

🧵
2. No group plays a bigger role electing anti-abortion Republicans to state legislatures than the @RSLC

Yet corporations who claim to support women's rights have been donating millions to the @RSLC in 2022

popular.info/p/major-corpor…
3. Major corporate donations to the @RSLC in the first 3 months of 2022:

@USChamber (250K)
@KochIndustries (225K)
@AnthemInc (200K)
@Disney (60K, in kind)
@Walmart (65K)
@Nationwide (50K)
@TMobile (50K)
@Uber (50K)
@Google (30K)

popular.info/p/major-corpor…
Read 7 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
May 3
Read 5 tweets
Judd Legum Profile picture
May 2
1. Individuals affiliated with the Chinese government are already demanding Elon Musk change Twitter's policies.

Can Musk stand up to China?

If he does, it'll be the first time.

🧵

popular.info/p/elon-musks-c…
2. The future of Tesla depends on the cooperation of Chinese authorities.

HALF of all Tesla's sold last year were produced in China.

Chinese consumers account for 1/4 of Tesla's sales.

The Chinese gov't could end all of that.

popular.info/p/elon-musks-c…
3. Musk knows he needs to stay in the good graces of Chinese officials

When California shut down a Tesla plant during the pandemic, he said it was "fascist," "horrible," & "wrong"

When China shut down a Tesla plant during the pandemic, Musk said nothing

popular.info/p/elon-musks-c…
Read 8 tweets

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