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After Initially Calling The New York Times' Report False, Facebook Confirms Most Claims Made in the Story (nytimes.com)
Nellie Bowles and Zach Wichter, reporting for The New York Times: Joining a long tradition of companies and campaigns that drop bad news on holidays, Facebook on Thanksgiving eve took responsibility for hiring a Washington-based lobbying company, Definers Public Affairs, that pushed negative stories about Facebook's critics, including the philanthropist George Soros. Facebook's communications and policy chief, Elliot Schrage, said in a memo posted Wednesday that he was responsible for hiring the group, and had done so to help protect the company's image and conduct research about high-profile individuals who spoke critically about the social media platform. Mr. Schrage will be leaving the company, a move planned before the memo was released.
Facebook fired Definers last week, after a New York Times investigation published on Nov. 14. "Did we ask them to do work on George Soros?" Mr. Schrage wrote in the memo, a draft of which had circulated online earlier in the week. "Yes." He added: "I'm sorry I let you all down. I regret my own failure here." This is a change from just a few days ago, when Facebook wrote on Nov. 15 that the Times report was full of "inaccuracies." The same day, Sheryl Sandberg, the company's chief operating officer, posted on her Facebook page that she had no idea the company had hired Definers.
Facebook fired Definers last week, after a New York Times investigation published on Nov. 14. "Did we ask them to do work on George Soros?" Mr. Schrage wrote in the memo, a draft of which had circulated online earlier in the week. "Yes." He added: "I'm sorry I let you all down. I regret my own failure here." This is a change from just a few days ago, when Facebook wrote on Nov. 15 that the Times report was full of "inaccuracies." The same day, Sheryl Sandberg, the company's chief operating officer, posted on her Facebook page that she had no idea the company had hired Definers.
Zuckerberg has a history of following the motto "it's easier to apologize than to ask permission". No one should be surprised when Facebook's initial response is childish denial instead of a factual explanation of events.
“Whenever Roy (Cohn) wanted a story stopped or item put in, or story exploited, i.e (Gerradine) Ferraro—and her family, Roy called Murdoch.” When there is a story to be exploited, people usually call the Republican 'Definers'. It was the same in the 1980s as it is today. The 'Definers' of that era was people like Donald Trump's mentor, Roy Cohn. Roy Cohn enlisted his friend and the owner of the New York Post, Rupert Murdoch, to help bring down oppositions' narratives and character. And guess who was also working with Roy Cohn and Donald Trump in those days with these dirty tricks? - it was Roger Stone.
I don't see how anyone can see billionaire tech bros as "the left". Their entire philosophy and business model is "leech off the many, for the few". That's about as far from socialism as you can get.
Of course they don't care if you're gay, have an abortion, are in a minority or are from another country; to them everyone is just a resource to further their own wealth and power. If they can parlay their indifference into some good PR then of course they will, but if it helps them they will not hesitate to treat anyone like shit; just because they do it indiscriminately doesn't make them progressive.
Zuck has always been an a-moral toerag; whatever belief or allegiance he professes is only what he thinks will reflect best on him.