Companies that were once very vocal on human rights and societal issues have held statements close to the vest or stayed completely silent following the recent streak of tragedies in America.Why it matters: This is a major shift in the way leaders communicate during heightened moments of tragedy and crisis. Most have now opted for internal correspondence in place of public pledges — and some are saying nothing at all.

In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, executives from Dell Technologies, Merck and Ford made statements slamming police brutality.However, when asked how the leaders were responding to the fatal police beating of Tyre Nichols, reps from all three companies declined to comment.The CEO Action Network — which consists of 2,400 CEOs who publicly “pledged to create more inclusive cultures while not being afraid of having difficult conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion” — is also a “no comment.”

Fatigue. “There’s a sensitivity to not making a statement every time something happens,” Paul Washington, executive director of the ESG Center at the Conference Board told Emily. Companies don’t want to get into the routine for fear of being asked, ‘Why did you say something about that, but not this?’

ESG pushback. Recent pushback from activist investors and legislators at the state and federal levels have caused businesses to become more skittish on ESG initiatives.

Plus, many tech companies have gutted their DEI departments in response to economic strains.