Common Sense Media - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Common Sense Media is Medium Risk.

Common Sense Media is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Common Sense Media occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	No Data
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Medium Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Common Sense Media has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (1).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Common Sense Media does not publish charitable giving guidelines (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Common Sense Media requires its employees to take inclusive language and implicit bias training (1)(2). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment, hiring, and promotions. From its DEI webpage: “We’ve revamped our recruitment procedures to foster the hiring of a diverse range of talents while establishing position levels aimed at leveling salaries and promotions” (3). Common Sense Media does not publish a nondiscrimination policy (4)(5)(6).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Common Sense Media released a collection of “specially curated” podcasts for kids in celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, discussing topics like transgenderism (1). Included in the company’s “Celebrating Community” pages is a year-round LGBTQ+ Pride page (2). Common Sense Media also published an article titled “Tips for Teaching Digital Citizenship with LGBTQ+ Students in Mind”, which covers topics like “hate speech” (3). In 2021, the company published a report titled: “The Inclusion Imperative: Why Media Representation Matters For Kid’s Ethnic and Racial Development” (4). Common Sense Media also offers resources for children on anti-racism and social justice (5)(6)(7). The company supports DEI within its business practices, employing a DEI Officer (8). Common Sense Media supports DEI within its business practices. From its DEI webpage: “At Common Sense, we advance our mission by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplace and in our offerings to reflect and serve the diversity of all families” (9).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Common Sense Media encouraged its users to donate to a variety of LGBTQ-focused organizations, but it is unclear whether the company itself donated to these organizations (1). Otherwise, it has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (2).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Common Sense Media does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).