Giving Compass' Take:

• The tweets sent by Fox News personality Laura Ingraham mocking David Hoggs, a 17-year-old survivor of the Parkland school shooting, discouraged continued support from many top-tier advertisers, who ended up boycotting her show. 

• How can television and news anchors help and harm public opinion? Corporate social responsibility is not a new standard of business, but why did advertisers choose to act now when Ingraham has had past discretions?

• The issue of gun violence has recently sparked an uptick in corporate social responsibility.

Call it next-level corporate social responsibility. This year marks a new wave in which brands are acting on key public issues that elected officials and government agencies are not addressing.

Now advertisers are cutting ties with Fox News personality Laura Ingraham over personal comments directed at a 17-year-old high school student who survived the Parkland massacre, David Hogg.

The Ingraham episode is especially interesting because it pulls together all three trends: gun control, social media and the professional behavior of high profile media personalities.

Her troubles began on March 27 when she posted a comment about David Hogg on her Fox Twitter account, @IngrahamAngle.If her tweet referenced Hogg’s advocacy for gun control, Ingraham may have been able to fend off at least some of the backlash. However, she did not address gun control or any other issue. The comment was personal, and to make matters worse it was directed at a young person who by almost every definition is a child (Hogg is 17 years old at this time).

Within hours after David Hogg posted a list of 12 top Ingraham Angle advertisers on Twitter, advertisers began rushing for the exits. Many took the opportunity to articulate their standards, reflecting a clear understanding that public opinion does not favor powerful adults who level personal attacks on minors.

Additionally,  corporate social responsibility movement has added fuel to the fire. CSR is now a mature, powerful force, and brands are on the lookout for opportunities to demonstrate leadership. Whatever else happens to Ingraham’s career, the episode should send a clear message to media. Brands are taking stands on social issues, and they are not shy about leveraging their advertising dollars to make their point.

Read the full article about corporate social responsibility by Tina Casey at TriplePundit.