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Disney’s Reputation Plummets Amid Ongoing Feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, According to Poll

ByAlki David

May 24, 2023

In a recent poll, Disney’s reputation has taken a significant hit following an intense and polarizing year-long feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The dispute between the entertainment giant and the governor began in 2022 and centered around Disney’s self-governing privileges and the governor’s Parental Rights in Education bill. The controversy escalated further when Disney accused the bill of lacking inclusivity for the LGBTQ community. According to an Axios-Harris Poll, Disney’s reputation has fallen 12 spots since the start of its entanglement with DeSantis, now landing the corporation in the 77th position.

The Disney-DeSantis Feud: The ongoing clash between Disney and Governor DeSantis has not only generated headlines but has also had a profound impact on Disney’s standing in the public eye. The corporation’s decision to challenge the governor’s Parental Rights in Education bill has ignited fierce debate and division, resulting in a significant drop in its reputation. While Disney has long been regarded as a beloved entertainment brand, its involvement in contentious political matters has led to a loss of public support.

According to the Axios-Harris Poll, which ranks companies based on their polarizing nature, Disney now holds the unenviable title of being the fifth most polarizing company out of the 100 companies assessed. The ranking is determined by measuring the disparity in assessments between Republican and Democratic respondents. The criteria for evaluation include character, trust, culture, and other relevant factors.

The poll’s findings highlight the profound impact of political controversies on corporate reputations in today’s polarized climate. Disney, once celebrated for its family-friendly content and magical experiences, now finds itself caught in the crossfire of political polarization, resulting in a significant blow to its reputation.

The fallout from the year-long feud between Disney and Governor Ron DeSantis has had a detrimental effect on the entertainment giant’s reputation. Disney’s decision to challenge the governor’s Parental Rights in Education bill and its subsequent accusations regarding inclusivity have sparked intense debate and division. As a result, Disney has experienced a significant decline in public support, falling 12 spots in reputation rankings since the feud began. The company’s inclusion as the fifth most polarizing company in the Axios-Harris Poll underscores the impact of political controversies on corporate standing in today’s highly polarized climate.

By Alki David

Alki David — Publisher, Media Architect, SIN Network Creator - live, direct-to-public communication, media infrastructure, accountability journalism, and independent distribution. Born in Lagos, Nigeria; educated in the United Kingdom and Switzerland; attended the Royal College of Art. Early internet broadcaster — participated in real-time public coverage during the 1997 Mars landing era using experimental online transmission from Beverly Hills. Founder of FilmOn, one of the earliest global internet television networks offering live and on-demand broadcasting outside legacy gatekeepers. Publisher of SHOCKYA — reporting since 2010 on systemic corruption inside the entertainment business and its expansion into law, finance, and regulation. Creator of the SIN Network (ShockYA Integrated Network), a federated media and civic-information infrastructure spanning investigative journalism, live TV, documentary, and court-record reporting. Lived and worked for over 40 years inside global media hubs including Malibu, Beverly Hills, London, Hong Kong and Gstaad. Early encounter with Julian Assange during the first Hologram USA operations proved a formative turning point — exposing the realities of lawfare, information suppression, and concentrated media power. Principal complainant and driving force behind what court filings describe as the largest consolidated media–legal accountability action on record, now before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Relocated to Antigua & Barbuda and entered sustained legal, civic, and informational confrontation over media power, safeguarding, and accountability at Commonwealth scale.