Faculty Affiliate Carliss Chatman, Professor at SMU Dedman School of Law, co-authored a commentary in Bloomberg Law with Sergio Alberto Gramitto Ricci examining the governance challenges behind Disney’s reversal on suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The authors argue that such “whiplash” decisions highlight the risks of treating corporate values as flexible rather than foundational. They emphasize that embedding principles like integrity, free expression, and accountability into governance frameworks is critical for sustaining trust and long-term legitimacy.
For Disney, the Kimmel episode should be a turning point. The path forward is to treat free expression as a governance principle rather than a liability. Anchor values in governance, and they become a source of resilience. Abandon them, and every political storm will threaten corporate legitimacy.”
Read the full article here: Disney’s Jimmy Kimmel Flip Shows Why Values Matter for Governance