Brands continue to navigate the line between social impact and mission focus
When communication software giant Basecamp recently ended political speech within the company’s public forums, it set off a firestorm of reactions online. While some large tech companies such as Coinbase celebrated the move, many others questioned Basecamp’s motivations. Within a week of the policy change, a quarter of the company’s staff took a buyout offer, many citing Basecamp’s silencing of internal dissent as the reason.
On the latest episode of the Dragonproof Podcast, Rick Wilson explores the original post, the Twitter meltdown which followed, and new reporting which suggests there is more to this policy than meets the eye.
For brands wrestling with how and why to participate in larger societal conversations, the issue of content moderation is complicated and urgent. However, as the Basecamp incident demonstrates, shaping debate must be balanced with respecting the real world concerns of the workforce—even when they point within.
For a detailed discussion of this story, listen to the new podcast, “Mission Focus vs Social Impact - The Basecamp Post Explained” - available now.