FT News Briefing cover image

FT News Briefing

Swamp Notes: Corporate America goes Maga

Jan 18, 2025
Brooke Masters, U.S. financial editor for the Financial Times, joins tech correspondent Hannah Murphy to discuss the striking shift of Corporate America towards conservative ideologies. They explore how remarks from Mark Zuckerberg have influenced corporate culture, leading to a rollback of diversity initiatives. The duo analyzes how businesses are reassessing their political affiliations amid rising customer backlash against progressive policies. They also delve into the challenges tech companies face with free speech and bias in a divided political landscape.
15:25

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Corporate America is shifting away from progressive values, influenced by political dynamics and a perceived cultural change among consumers.
  • Businesses are struggling to balance conservative consumer influences with the liberal views of their employees, risking internal tensions.

Deep dives

Shifting Corporate Culture

Corporate culture in America is undergoing a significant transformation, with many companies moving away from progressive values that were prevalent a few years ago. This shift is characterized by the reduction or elimination of diversity and inclusion programs and the withdrawal from alliances focused on environmental regulations and racial equality. Major firms are also forming connections with conservative figures, as seen with tech CEOs donating to political events aligned with the Republican party. This change appears to be driven by a combination of political dynamics and a desire to align with a perceived cultural shift among consumers.

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