Condé Nast: Bon Appétit and Accusations of Discrimination

Author
Hallberg, W.; Higginbotham, R.; O’Rourke, J. S. (editor)
Region
North America
Topic
Ethics & Social Justice
Human Resources & Organizational Behavior
Marketing & Sales
Length
14 pages
Keywords
social media
corporate policy
racial discrimination
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students

On June 10, 2020, the editor-in-chief of Conde Nast magazine Bon Appétit resigned amid allegations of racial discrimination. The publisher faces criticism from the public as well as its own employees over racially biased pay inequality involving the brand’s YouTube channel. A number of employees resign. All new content production has ceased while the matter is being resolved. Conde Nast must hire a new editor-in-chief. What other actions should the magazine take to rebuild trust with readers and staff?

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this case study is to discuss the ways in which a corporation’s internal policies must align with its communication policies, especially in the realm of social media. The case also looks at the ways in which social media can have a substantial impact on a corporation’s internal and external stakeholders and aims to create discussion about Corporate Communication’s role in reputation management. Finally, this case looks at the ways in which the alignment between words and actions can affect business outcomes