Simon & Schuster - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Simon & Schuster is High Risk.

Simon & Schuster is High Risk. The company yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. Simon & Schuster embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	High Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	Medium Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

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:

High

Rationale:

Despite its statement against book banning and censorship, Simon & Schuster publicly canceled a book deal with U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) in January 2021, citing his objection to the 2020 presidential election results (1)(2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Simon & Schuster does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1)(2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Simon & Schuster does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1)(2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Simon & Schuster features a Pride collection and a teen LGBT fiction book collection on its website (1)(2). The company publishes Kaleidescope annually, a children’s diversity initiative brochure which propagates books by LGBTQ authors specifically targeting youth (3)(4). The company supports DEI within its business practices, employing a DEI Council. It hosts a video series featuring authors and employees from “underrepresented group” discussing their identity. The company began several diversity initiatives in its publication including working with publishers to amplify and advocate for diversity (5).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Simon & Schuster has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1)(2)(3).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Simon & Schuster does not operate a PAC at this time and its parent company, KKR, has not lobbied for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).