With the 2016 Presidential election looming, political views and affiliations have become a hot topic. I noticed in the Trending Topics on Twitter this afternoon that “Former Facebook Workers” was trending, and it wasn’t for a reason you might have guessed.
Contractors who worked as “curators” for Facebook’s trending topics section, which can bring significant attention to news stories, regularly didn’t include stories trending among political conservatives, according to a Monday report from Gizmodo.
The “Trending” section appears on the right side of Facebook’s home page, next to the News Feed. Gizmodo has reported in the past that the topics are selected by human curators based on a Facebook-generated algorithm of the stories being discussed and shared by users.
That claim has come under increased scrutiny in light of two recent stories.
Reported from The Hill.com, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg criticized “fearful voices calling for building walls” in a shot a Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, during a conference last month.
Gizmodo later reported that a Facebook employee had submitted a question for a discussion with Zuckerberg asking what responsibility the company had to “prevent President Trump in 2017.”
Why, Why, Why
Whether the allegations are accurate or not is not the basis for this quick write up. I think that we can all learn that there are potential risks of backlash when it comes to affiliating yourself on one side of a political discussion or party. For example; we all remember the Chick-fil-A story from two years ago when the company aligned itself on one side of the gay rights movement. Or most recently, the Tucson Restaurant owner who made headlines for for holding a Latinos Support Trump sign at a recent rally and then received boycott threats and menacing phone calls.
My question to all business owners is, Why? Why align your business publicly with any side of the aisle or on one side of a political issue. The consequences could be catastrophic to your business.
I know, I know, you feel strongly about what your supporting. I can understand that. We feel strongly about supporting local food banks and feeding the homeless. We do this publicly. But it’s not a topic that’s going to catch fire one way or another. You have to remember that your business is your baby, but it’s a business. So, speaking publicly or openly siding with a candidate, topic, or debate will cause you more harm than good.
Cheers!
With the 2016 Presidential election looming, political views and affiliations have become a hot topic. I noticed in the Trending Topics on Twitter this afternoon that “Former Facebook Workers” was trending, and it wasn’t for a reason you might have guessed.
Contractors who worked as “curators” for Facebook’s trending topics section, which can bring significant attention to news stories, regularly didn’t include stories trending among political conservatives, according to a Monday report from Gizmodo.
The “Trending” section appears on the right side of Facebook’s home page, next to the News Feed. Gizmodo has reported in the past that the topics are selected by human curators based on a Facebook-generated algorithm of the stories being discussed and shared by users.
That claim has come under increased scrutiny in light of two recent stories.
Reported from The Hill.com, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg criticized “fearful voices calling for building walls” in a shot a Donald Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, during a conference last month.
Gizmodo later reported that a Facebook employee had submitted a question for a discussion with Zuckerberg asking what responsibility the company had to “prevent President Trump in 2017.”
Why, Why, Why
Whether the allegations are accurate or not is not the basis for this quick write up. I think that we can all learn that there are potential risks of backlash when it comes to affiliating yourself on one side of a political discussion or party. For example; we all remember the Chick-fil-A story from two years ago when the company aligned itself on one side of the gay rights movement. Or most recently, the Tucson Restaurant owner who made headlines for for holding a Latinos Support Trump sign at a recent rally and then received boycott threats and menacing phone calls.
My question to all business owners is, Why? Why align your business publicly with any side of the aisle or on one side of a political issue. The consequences could be catastrophic to your business.
I know, I know, you feel strongly about what your supporting. I can understand that. We feel strongly about supporting local food banks and feeding the homeless. We do this publicly. But it’s not a topic that’s going to catch fire one way or another. You have to remember that your business is your baby, but it’s a business. So, speaking publicly or openly siding with a candidate, topic, or debate will cause you more harm than good.
Cheers!
Published on May 9, 2016
About the Author: Chris Williams
