Sanoma Group - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Sanoma Group is Medium Risk.

Sanoma Group 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. Sonoma 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	High Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	Medium 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:

Sanoma 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:

High

Rationale:

Sanoma Group does not give to “religious movements or representatives” (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Sanoma Group provides its employees with viewpoint protections. It has a “zero tolerance” nondiscrimination policy based on its Diversity and Inclusion policy, which includes “political and religious beliefs” (1)(2). Sanoma Group offers unconscious bias training to its employees. In 2023, it published a gender diversity glossary (3)(4). The company prioritizes diversity in its leadership composition, seeking 50/50 gender equality in all managerial positions (5).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Sanoma Group supports ESG within its business practices. Sanoma Group is a signatory of the UN Global Compact, committed to carbon Neutrality by 2050. Sanoma Learning monitors “sensitive topics” and reports them to the Local Management Team for approval (1)(2). Sanoma has publicly supported Ukraine in its war with Russia (3). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Sanoma Group using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (4).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Sanoma Group has donated to organizations that support the Ukrainian efforts in the war with Russia (1). Valkeakoski Sanomat, a Sanoma affiliate, was the “official patron of the Valkeakoski Pride parade” (2). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Sanoma Group using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (3).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Sanoma Group does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).