Wow, listened over lunch to @karaswisher podcast with @StevenLevy about his new book on Facebook. I’m hooked and have lots of thoughts so will share here. Happy for pushback and debate. /1 podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rec…
My first disclosure, I have not read book yet. I’ve read all the excerpts so my thoughts are based on the podcast interview which again I recommend. Side note: here is @natashanyt review of it. /2 nytimes.com/2020/02/25/boo…
You can also buy the book and read it as I plan to do. Buy it at your local bookstore per @StevenLevy :) or here is a link to another Goliath. /3 amazon.com/Facebook-Insid…
First, I absolutely love and most of my comments revolve around where @karaswisher opens up, probing on “access” journalism. It’s a fascinating exchange as Levy received unprecedented access - bringing risk of losing access along with what Levy labels as Stockholm syndrome. /4
Levy discloses employee interviews included PR baby sitting / supervision. Levy suggests having PR in the room allowed employees to speak more freely but I mostly disagree here along with this creating a channel back into PR for the next interview and coaching employees. /5
Another disclosure, this “access” stretches beyond journalism. In my role, it was a decision I personally had to make in losing “access” to private meetings with Facebook by taking them on publicly. Most industry execs can’t cross Facebook (or Google) due to this access risk. /6
In politics, this risk also real. It’s not insignificant that CEO Zuckerberg didn’t get asked certain questions at his hearing. Or when COO Sheryl Sandberg (finally) testified, there was agreement not to ask a single question about Cambridge Analytica. Again, relationships... /7
Being self-aware of “access” is important especially with event interviews. With that, I note Steven Levy was also the journalist allowed by Facebook to interview a key FB exec at one of our events they agreed to speak - in pivotal January 2017 - literally inauguration week. /8
None of this is an issue especially for top journalists so just flagging self-awareness which Kara hits home. Hey, I do notice details like when Sandberg hugged Kara on stage just ahead of her getting grilled by Sandberg weeks after Cambridge Analytica story broke wide open. /9
On that note, I don’t agree with Levy or conventional wisdom Facebook would have avoided controversy if Trump had lost in 2016. Again on the “access” point, a reminder Cambridge Analytica was the gas on fire and came from Brexit reporting by journalists on east coast and UK. /10
Another point on “access,” I was struck by Levy and Swisher discussion around meeting Zuckerberg’s parents and his own responsibility over the decision on which ultra elite private school he would attend growing up. Again “access”.... /11
One other disclosure, I did personally speak to Levy for an hour or so when he was writing his book. No idea if any of my perspective made its way into the book but he stated to have interviewed over 300 people so had to have received a broad perspective. So good on him. /12
@karaswisher is an especially good interviewer- no surprise - here for @StevenLevy. Love how she calls out decisions by Facebook rather than letting them just roll by as part of their “story.” A few examples.. /13
One example, @StevenLevy shares Zuckerberg confessed to being “hurt” when his early (and offensive) instant messages leaked. Swisher rightly points out the correct reaction should have been “apologetic.” This nuance makes Zuckerberg feel very similar to our current President. /14
In Levy describing how Zuckerberg and the company has come to act like a “victim,” Swisher again points out how backward this is using Facebook’s decision to attack Tim Cook and Apple rather than take his criticism to heart. /15
Swisher stops @StevenLevy when he describes Zuckerberg’s offensive instant messages as “cherry picked.” They weren’t. Facebook often describes bad leaks as “cherry picked” while at the same time has obfuscated and threatened those who seek to provide sunlight and context. /16
The discussion of the propaganda on walls, Don Graham’s (former board member and Wash Post owners) daughter’s reported role to codify Zuckerberg’s values and everyone on leadership team being a “Zuckerberg loyalist” is a recipe for the disaster we’re still seeing play out. /17
Swisher shares she doesn’t think Facebook cares about consequences. Leaked employee memo agreed with this and said consequences didn’t matter as long as FB connected, grew so that aligns. As much as that was driven by their (lack of) values and profit model, all makes sense. /18
One item, I wasn’t aware CSO Stamos went to Chris Cox when he couldn’t get attention about bad stuff on platform thru his chain of command (Schrage->Sandberg). Curious as Cox was supposed to testify at key U.K. @CommonsCMS hearing but was replaced with CTO (Cox later left). /19
Ok, I’ll stop there. 20 tweet limit to my thread. 😏 recommend this podcast as the discussion among two longtime journalists is interesting even before getting to the book. Thanks. /end podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rec…
