Assistant Professor Yvette Sterbenk of Strategic Communications published "Silence has no place: a framing analysis of corporate statements about racial inequity, immigration policy and LGBTQ rights " in November 2021 in Corporate Communications: An International Journal.
The article explores the framing of messages delivered by 105 Fortune 500 companies across 21 sectors in June 2020 in response to three social justice issues that took prominence that month in the United States: racial inequity, immigration laws, and LGBTQ rights. As companies are increasingly called upon to speak out on controversial issues, it can be challenging for communicators who are deciding how to respond. This study sheds light on the common frames used in corporate statements.
The research was conducted with Jamie Ward/Eastern Michigan University, Regina Luttrell/Syracuse University, and Summer Shelton/University of Southern Indiana.