Connecting the Dots on Facebook’s Smear Campaign

Perhaps you’ve probably heard: Facebook and Google are at war, and Facebook’s not afraid to play dirty. Thursday’s revelation that the social networking site hired PR firm Burston-Marsteller to plant a negative story about Google’s privacy settings raises a number of questions. Like, “Who at Facebook thought this was a good idea?” The company isn't responding to the question right now. Until they do, it helps to look at the players involved. There’s Burston-Marsteller, the global PR firm run by CEO Mark Penn. There’s Jim Goldman, the former Silicon Valley bureau chief for CNBC (and frequent target of high school-style ridicule). He’s become the fall guy for Burston-Marsteller. There’s Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s universally praised COO. And then there’s Elliot Schrage, Facebook’s VP of communications and public policy. Penn, of course, is a Washington heavy hitter: he worked as a pollster to President Clinton during both of his terms and the Washington Post noted how “thoroughly integrated into the policymaking operation” he’d become. Penn’s also no stranger to criticism from Washington observers: he gained notoriety for missteps as chief strategist to Hillary Clinton during her 2008 Presidential bid. He eventually stepped down after feuding with other aides, and for reportedly offering Clinton some of her worst advice (like, emphasize Barack Obama’s foreignness). Penn’s also no stranger to the tech world—he’s credited with making Microsoft into one of the country’s most... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #googles head #silicon valley #focus attention

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Connecting the Dots on Facebook’s Smear Campaign'


Take Note, Facebook: How Colleges Are Training Designers To Treat Users Like More Than Lab Rats

Students at MIT, Stanford, and elsewhere are learning to build technology products with user well-being in mind.Facebook sparked outrage this summer when it published results of a study conducted on unwitting users. The study looked at whether people who were shown more positive or negative... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #study conducted #vice versa #end user


Foyles unveils latest Christmas campaign

Foyles has unveiled its latest Christmas campaign this week (3rd November) targeting “book givers” and “celebrating thoughtfulness”. The campaign was rolled out across the chain’s bookshops and website and will be supported by 16-sheet and four-sheet adverts on the London Underground from 1st... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #london underground #1st december


What Facebook’s new unfollow feature means for brands, publishers

Facebook is making it easier for users to unfollow brand and publisher pages, which will have a polarizing effect on distribution. The post What Facebook’s new unfollow feature means for brands, publishers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers appeared


Library Campaign attacks CMS Arts Council report

The Library Campaign has termed the new report from the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee into the activities of Arts Council England a "damp squib". In the report, released yesterday (5th November), the CMS Committee criticised ACE for its bias in funding projects in the capital, but... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library campaign #commons culture #sport committee #arts council


Facebook Data Requests From Law Enforcement Are Increasing

Requests for Facebook user information from law enforcement are up 24% since 2013.Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter siphon up untold gigabytes of user data, which makes them obvious targets for governments and law enforcement agencies looking to gather evidence. This week in a bid for... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook published #tech companies #user data


Facebook Tool the Obama Camp Called Groundbreaking Is Going Away

After the 2012 election, President Barack Obama's digital campaign director Teddy Goff told Time magazine that a tool allowing Obama for America to access the Facebook friends of its supporters "will wind up being the most groundbreaking piece of technology developed for this campaign." This is... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #election season #facebook friends


How The News Business Can Survive Facebook

The social network's plans to control even more of the media industry squeezed a collective gasp out of publishers. Was that a last breath?Facebook recently wrapped up a "listening tour," hoping to lure publishers across the United States to deliver their content pages and news feeds to... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news business #news feeds


Google and Facebook: voracious giants with the power to create the future

The internet powerhouses are using their billions to challenge in sectors far removed from their original business modelsThe webs biggest consumer companies make the bulk of their incomes, and have built up vast assets, from targeted advertising. It accounts for around 90% of Facebooks revenue... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #oculus rift #machine learning


Political parties pledge to support literacy campaign

The three leading UK political parties have pledged to support the National Literacy Forum’s campaign to improve literacy in the UK.   The National Literacy Forum, led by the National Literacy Trust and supported by organisations such as Booktrust and The Reading Agency, yesterday (29th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #improve literacy #literacy skills #reading agency #children born


Fault in Our Stars author backs literature diversity campaign

We need to reflect the reality of our communities, says The Fault in Our Stars writer John Green in video backing social media-led We Need Diverse Books campaignAll readers need to know that they too can be the heroes of a story, according to the bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john green #diverse books #bestselling author #increase diversity #childrens books


How Facebook Could End Up Controlling Everything You Watch and Read Online

Given that links appear to be more clickable when shared on Facebook, online publishers have scrambled to become savvy gamers of Facebook’s News Feed, seeking to divine the secret rules that push some stories higher than others. But all this genuflection at the altar of Facebook’s algorithms may... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #read online #online publishers #fundamental shift #consumed online


Digital storytelling for HoZ Carnivia campaign

Head of Zeus has launched a “fully immersive, story driven” digital marketing campaign to mark the release of Jonathan Holt’s The Abduction in paperback. The novel is the second in the Carnivia thriller trilogy, and the marketing campaign will be hosted on the Carnivia website, with Head of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital storytelling #marketing campaign #drive sales


Facebook offers publishers a Faustian bargain

Facebook's plan to help publishers monetize on mobile sends a shiver down publishers' spines. The post Facebook offers publishers a Faustian bargain appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers monetize


Publishers cool on outsourcing community to Facebook

Facebook and Twitter are losing their communities to the big social networks. Here's how they're trying to get them back. The post Publishers cool on outsourcing community to Facebook appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook appeared


Google, Facebook continue massive lobbying efforts in Q3

Google and Facebook continued to pour millions of dollars into federal political lobbying in the third quarter in attempts to influence U.S. lawmakers and have legislation written in their favor.Google spent US$3.94 million between July and September while Facebook spent $2.45 million, according... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #time warner #largest spender


PLR Twitter campaign sees 70 new authors sign up

A Twitter campaign to encourage more authors to sign up to Public Lending Right has been successful, according to Tracy Chevalier. Seventy authors registered for PLR in the first week of the campaign, led by Chevalier - an increase of 400% on the same period the year before. Chevalier, chair... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors sign #tracy chevalier #public lending #regular basis


Facebook video isn’t killing off YouTube — yet

More brands are publishing video directly to Facebook instead of to YouTube and then using Facebook for distribution. The post Facebook video isn’t killing off YouTube — yet appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What topped Facebook's 'books that stayed with you' meme around the world?

Last month Facebook analyzed a user meme looking at '10 books that have stayed with you.' Now the company's data scientists have done another analysis looking at responses from foreign-language users and have found some different results. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #data scientists


'Lemony Snicket' urges authors to connect with indie bookshops

Authors United has sent out a letter from the author Daniel Handler  - a.k.a. Lemony Snicket - encouraging writers to take part in Upstream, a new programme to support independent bookstores. Upstream, “cooked up” by Handler and “assorted interested parties”, aims to connect writers with their... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lemony snicket #indie bookshops #authors united


Facebook's location-based ads can pitch you on the store you just walked by

If you’re like me, you might stroll past a local coffee shop or book store numerous times before you notice it’s there or go inside. Facebook thinks an ad might give that extra nudge.On Tuesday, the company began rolling out a new feature for local advertising that lets businesses target users... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #local advertising #smaller businesses #revenue stream