The Magazine of Corporate Responsibility

Archive for July, 2011

After the Debacle: How News Corp. Can Rebuild Trust

The Murdochs and their executive team at News Corp. need to begin building “a new corporate conscience,” argues Patricis Harned, President of the Ethics Resource Center. “NewsCorp is now literally fighting for its life,” she writes. “The best defense, as we have seen with companies that have survived such crises, is not to spin its story, but to start writing a new one.”

Agriculture’s Impact on the Environment

What amazes many environmental advocates to this day is how the widespread adoption of synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers for use in agriculture was dubbed the “Green Revolution,” when in fact this post-World War II paradigm shift in the way we produce food has wreaked untold havoc on the environment, food quality and human health.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates SEC Proxy Access Rules

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit vacated Securities and Exchange Commission rules adopted in 2010 designed to give shareholders the ability to nominate directors through corporate proxy materials. The court ruled that the SEC “acted arbitrarily and capriciously for having failed once again…to adequately assess the economic effects of a new rule.”

Facing Bribery Inquiry, News Corp. Lawyers Up With Former Federal Prosecutors

The embattled media conglomerate News Corporation and its independent directors have not only hired top criminal defense lawyers, they’ve also hired former Justice Department prosecutors well-versed in U.S. bribery law. The new hires are a sign that the company is taking the Justice Department’s preliminary investigation rather seriously.

Panera Cares: An Experiment in Corporate Responsibility

Columnist Gael O’Brien discusses an innovative corporate responsibility initiative launched by Panera Bread, the national cafe-bakery company. “Panera Cares” has opened community cafes in three cities – Clayton, Missouri; Dearborn, Michigan and Portland, Oregon – based on a pay-what-you-can model where those who can pay more do in order to cover the cost of others.

11 Reasons Why We Need the Shareholder Protection Act

The Shareholder Protection Act, introduced today in the U.S. Congress, addresses governance problems left in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United, which enables corporations to spend an unlimited amount of money on political advertising. The bill is modeled on the U.K. Companies Act, which requires prior shareholder approval of corporate political donations.

A Reader’s Guide to U.K. Phone Hacking Scandal

Though News of the World shut its doors on Sunday, the UK’s hacking scandal is deepening. Allegations of illegal activity have spread beyond News of the World to other Murdoch papers, and far beyond hacking into people’s voice mails. With all the new details emerging, it’s getting hard to keep track. Here’s a brief rundown of the latest revelations.

How Murdoch Reporters’ Bribes to British Cops Violate U.S. Law

As the phone hacking scandal continues to unfold, British press reports say more than $160,000 was paid by News of the World reporters to police officers in the U.K. News of the World is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. – whose stock is listed in the U.S. – and the alleged bribes could cause the company serious trouble with U.S. prosecutors or the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Where to Find a “Green” Job

With the environment now high atop the public agenda, green jobs are more popular than ever. Defined by eco.org (a leading green jobs website) as any job in any company where the primary focus is on reducing the impacts of our activities or products on the environment, green jobs serve to maximize efficient use of resources while minimizing degradation of the planet from pollution and waste.

YUM! Brands Under Fire for Palm Oil Sourcing

YUM! Brands, which operates 38,000 fast food restaurants in 110 countries (including not only KFC but also Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, WingStreet, A&W and Long John Silver’s), has come under fire of late from Greenpeace and other rainforest advocacy groups for sourcing palm oil, paper and other goods from suppliers notorious for destroying tropical rainforests in Indonesia and elsewhere.