Tim Egan on the new corporate conscience

Mary Bruno

Mary Bruno Jul 2, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Tim Egan on the new corporate conscience</h1>
                <h2><p>A raft of businesses have raised their voices in protest over the new freedom of religion legislation in Indiana and Arkansas. Apple, Nike, Walmart, Mariott, the NCAA. "Their outrage is selective, and calculated,"writes New York Times columnist Tim Egan: "In corporate America, the branding conceit of</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/mary-bruno-crosscut-com/">Mary Bruno</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>A raft of businesses have raised their voices in protest over the new freedom of religion legislation in Indiana and Arkansas. Apple, Nike, Walmart, Mariott, the NCAA. "Their outrage is selective, and calculated,"writes <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/03/opinion/timothy-egan-the-conscience-of-a-corporation.html?ref=opinion">New York Times columnist Tim Egan</a>: "In corporate America, the branding conceit of the moment includes just the right dash of social activism."</p><p>That said, Egan continues, the free market and the First Amendment were working pretty well together until "activist judges — thy names are Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and John G. Roberts — have tried to broaden the intent of the founders ..."</p>
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A raft of businesses have raised their voices in protest over the new freedom of religion legislation in Indiana and Arkansas. Apple, Nike, Walmart, Mariott, the NCAA. "Their outrage is selective, and calculated,"writes New York Times columnist Tim Egan: "In corporate America, the branding conceit of the moment includes just the right dash of social activism."

That said, Egan continues, the free market and the First Amendment were working pretty well together until "activist judges — thy names are Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and John G. Roberts — have tried to broaden the intent of the founders ..."

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By Mary Bruno

Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,