Insights

January 30, 2025

Ongoing immigration operations and two fatal shootings in Minnesota have led to outrage across the U.S., once again forcing companies and leaders to weigh whether and how they should speak out on current events after a year of largely staying silent. Organizers behind a “national shutdown” today (Jan. 30) which calls for “no school, no work and no shopping” seek to apply more pressure on businesses and institutions. 

As we’ve seen with this week’s events, with the right preparation, leaders can communicate during moments of social and political tension with confidence, clarity, and speed. 

1. Shifting perspective on staying silent

Corporate leaders are confronting a set of fundamental questions: Should we say something? If so, what? And to what end? In this context, success depends on clarity of objective, message, and audience.

In Fortune’s CEO Daily, Diane Brady wrote that executives who have long been silent on the administration’s immigration crackdown appear to be reaching a breaking point. She noted that conversations at the World Economic Forum in Davos included frequent commentary about the relative silence of leaders in response to global events, indicating a potential shift ahead. Similarly, Andrew Ross Sorkin questioned in The New York Times’ DealBook how the business community chooses to use its voice, noting that many companies stay silent on issues deemed “too political.” He added that “at some point, business leaders — not just those in Minneapolis — need to raise their hands.”

2. Testing a collective public response

More than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies — including Target (which faced backlash after an ICE raid at one of its stores), Best Buy and General Mills — did just that, issuing an open letter. It called for “immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local, and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”

In the WSJ CEO Brief, Lila MacLellan described the response as a “Rorschach test about the state of corporate leadership.” Some welcomed the show of a united front and the willingness of business leaders to speak up. Others criticized the approach as “hollow” and “vague,” arguing that it lacked any specific recommendations or clear course of action, in contrast to the more forceful corporate responses following the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

3. Speaking directly with employees

Prominent CEOs have taken a more direct approach in communicating with their employees:

• “What’s happening with ICE is going too far,” ChatGPT’s Sam Altman wrotein a Slack message to employees. “There is a big difference between deporting violent criminals and what’s happening now, and we need to get the distinction right.”
• Apple CEO Tim Cook emailed employees that he was “heartbroken” in a letter to employees, calling for de-escalation. He faced scrutinyfor attending a screening of a new Melania Trump documentary at the White House that same day.
• In a video message, incoming Target CEO Michael Fiddelke told staff, “The violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful. I know it’s weighing heavily on many of you across the country, as it is with me,” he continued. “We are doing everything we can to manage what’s in our control, always keeping the safety of our team and guests our top priority.”

4. Vocal companies are taking a stand

Patagonia issued the most explicit statementto date: “We can’t stand by while our communities are targeted by government-sanctioned violence.” The company added, “We are witnessing the militarization of our cities, the expansion of unchecked enforcement power, and a campaign of terror against communities of color and immigrants,” and directed people to contact their senators and tell them to vote against a bill that will increase DHS and ICE funding.

5. Justifying your commitments

Canadian social media management platform Hootsuite posted a letter from CEO Irina Novoselsky explaining its ongoing contracts with ICE after sustained media attention. Starting with “what we are watching unfold right now is wrong,” Novoselsky balances that their services ensure public “voices remain visible” in this time where trust is being lost and that the company works with many clients “without endorsing specific actions or policies.” In 2020, under different leadership, Hootsuite backed out of ICE contracts after negative employee response.

The bottom line: Responding to societal events is a discipline, not a reflex. This moment exposes not a lack of conviction, but a lack of clarity. Organizations are being pulled between expectations to engage and lessons learned from perceived overreach in the past and in the current political environment. The result is a wide spectrum of responses, each with their own risks – and regardless of the plan, executives should be prepared for questions from employees.

During tense social movements, effective communication is not about choosing between silence and statement. It is about aligning intent, authority, and action. Organizations that do this well are less reactive, more credible, and better positioned to navigate sustained scrutiny.

Communications decisions should be guided by a clear framework:

1. Do we have relevant authority?
2. Is there an impact on our employees or operations?
3. Does this align to our organization’s mission or values?
4. Would our customers expect us to respond?
5. Are we willing to commit to an action?

Answering those questions, in that order, can help guide your communications approach.

If recent events have raised questions inside your company or organization, Global Gateway Advisors’ Crisis Frame is built to help communicators lead through disruption with clarity, speed, and control.

Reach out to crisisframe@gga.nyc to schedule a conversation.

Key upcoming global leadership, tech and health forums

AI, leadership + organizational strategy

• Charter Leading with AI (New York City/virtual, Feb. 10 + San Francisco/virtual, Feb. 24) An in-depth look at how organizations can break out of AI’s “messy middle,” featuring insights from practitioners, strategies for redesigning work for AI, and guidance for leaders shaping the future of talent, technology, and organizational transformation. Our client Hannah Calhoon, head of AI innovation and VP of AI at Indeed, will speak on a panel at the NYC event focused on using AI to lead teams. If you’re planning to attend, let us know.
• WSJ Tech Council Summit (Palo Alto, California, Feb. 10-11) Senior technology leaders gather to explore how the C-suite is deploying AI, overcoming scale challenges, and driving transformational change across their organizations. Participants include Tim Crawford, CIO strategic advisor at AVOA; Sasan Goodarzi, CEO of Intuit; and Kathy Kay, EVP and CIO at Principal Financial. Qualtrics’ Chief Security Officer Assaf Kerem will lead an Exchange Session for attending CIOs and CSOs at the event.
• Leaders in AI Summit (Austin, Texas, Feb. 17-18) Senior data and technology leaders gather to discuss how organizations are operationalizing AI across data strategy, transformation, and large-scale implementation. Speakers include Kumar Melam, Head of Data Science at Cardinal Health; Vino Kingston, Data & AI Transformation Strategy and Integration Leader at Lockheed Martin; and Anh Selissen, Chief Information Officer at the Texas Department of Transportation.

Health + digital innovation

• ViVE (Los Angeles, Feb. 22-25) Co-created by HLTH and CHIME, ViVE brings together health system, payer, and technology leaders to examine how digital tools, data and emerging innovations are reshaping the business of healthcare. Participants include Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and President of the Cleveland Clinic; Mary Varghese Presti, CVP and Chief Operating Officer for Health and Life Sciences at Microsoft; and Sarah London, CEO of Centene Corporation.

Bookmark Global Gateway Advisors’ event tracker, updated weekly.

Media news + moves

Media disruption and growth

• Impending cuts roil The Washington Post. Employees expect up to 300 jobs will be eliminated, with some desks possibly closing entirely. Desperate staffers have appealed to owner Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez and Tom Hanks. The paper is in the midst of an “existential meltdown,” according to The Intelligencer. More here
• Semafor raises $30 million. The three-year-old media startup plans to use the cash to hire more journalists, launch a CEO-focused China newsletter, and expand its live-events business, particularly its annual World Economy Summit in Washington, D.C. This latest round of funding values the company at $330 million. More here
• Endpoints News expands coverage to China. The organization is hiring a senior journalist to cover the country’s biotech industry. More here
• CNBC launches “Leaders Playbook”: The show, which airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m., features senior media and technology correspondent Julia Boorstin in conversation with top CEOs and business leaders about how they think, navigate crisis, and lead. More here
• CNBC launches rare disease-focused newsletter. The weekly publication will provide insight into the biggest headlines impacting the rare disease community, which affects roughly 1 in 10 Americans. More here
• TechBrew rebrands. The newsletter, which will now be published Monday through Friday, will be less product-focused and more impact-focused. More here

Platforms, audience and engagement

• Live, laugh, LinkedIn. At a time when the discourse around social media suggests decline, LinkedIn continues to grow. Revenue reached $17 billion in 2025, up from $7 billion in 2020, with membership doubling over the same period. Part of that growth reflects the platform’s real-name policy, which helps preserve trust and encourages better behavior. More here
• Reddit gains on TikTok. The online discussion platform has overtaken TikTok to become the UK’s fourth most visited social media service, reflecting shifts in search behavior and Gen Z usage. More here

New formats and emerging influence

• Vox partners with Seth Matlin on new media franchise. Geared toward business and marketing executives, it will include video podcasts with top thought leaders and several live events, ranging from multi-day summits to “intimate discussions and dinners.” More here
• The new generation of lobbyists. Last year, we spoke at length about newsfluencers. Now, this group of young, chronically online communicators is entering and reshaping the lobbying space, often without the constraints of newsroom ethics or disclosure requirements, as power brokers seek to capitalize on their audience loyalty and access. For example, Alex Bruesewitz, a 28-year-old former Trump campaign aide, tweeted to his 640,000 followers that marijuana should be classified as a less dangerous drug, calling it a “no-brainer.” What was not as obvious: He was paid $300,000 by a political action committee. More here
• Polymarket partners with Dow Jones. This will allow the predictions platform to provide its data across Dow Jones content, including The Wall Street Journal. “We’re making prediction market data accessible to our users, because it’s a rapidly growing source of real-time insight into collective beliefs about future events,” Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour said. This comes as Polymarket competitor Kalshi inked similar deals with CNN and CNBC. More here
• Forbes is launching its own prediction market. Unlike other prediction platforms, ForbesPredict, which was created in partnership with tech startup Axiom, is intended to drive engagement rather than wagering, allowing users to earn tokens tied to participation, rather than monetary bets. “This was really an appealing way for us to think about how we can bring in our reader and our audience’s voice as another view into the news,” said Forbes chief innovation officer Nina Gould, describing the approach as the “gamification of following a story.” More here

Media moves:

• Vox hired Benj Sarlin(previously The Washington Post and Semafor) as a senior editor for policy, politics, and ideas.
• Brad Davis and Debbie Strong were promoted to deputy executive editors on the innovation team at Business Insider and Mia de Graaf was made executive editor on the Life team. Chief revenue officer, Maggie Milnamow, and global head of sales, Orlando Reece, are leaving the organization.
• Axios hired Liz Alesse (formerly ABC News) as its first general manager of Axios Local, while promoting Ben Berkowitzto head of news.
• Karey Van Hall (previously USA Today and Politico) was hired by Semaforas its new Washington editor.
• WIRED hired Miles Klee (most recently Rolling Stone) as a senior writer on the culture desk, while Rob Reddick, UK science editor, is leaving the organization.
• The New York Times hired Brian O’Keefe (formerly Esquire) as DealBook’s managing editor, while Rich Barbieriis taking on a new role as international business editor, overseeing coverage in Europe and Asia.
• Longtime pharma trade reporter Dan Stanton went in-house to Sartorius.
• Morning Brew hired Vincent Ryan (previously CFO Leadership) as editor of CFO Brew, while reporter Patrick Kulpwill now write AI-focused feature stories for a range of the outlet’s newsletters.
• Brit Morse (formerly Fortune) joined The Weekas a senior editor.
• Sabrina Rodriguez (previously The Washington Post) has been hired as a politics reporter by The Wall Street Journal, while Ben Glickmanwill begin covering biotech.
• The Information hired Jyoti Mann (formerly Business Insider) to cover Meta and Eli Rosenbergto cover the AI boom in San Francisco.
• The Deep View hired Sabrina Ortiz (formerly ZDNET) as a senior AI reporter.
• CNET senior reporter Imad Khan departed the news organization.