For Facebook and Conservatives, a Collegial Meeting in Silicon Valley

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After more than a week of controversy over allegations that Facebook displays a liberal media bias, a group of 16 Republican pundits and politicians met with the social network’s chief, Mark Zuckerberg, its chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, and other top executives. The tête-à-tête at Facebook’s headquarters was an attempt by the company to mend fences with conservatives — and, by most accounts, it was a step in the right direction.

The 90-minute meeting was described as mostly collegial, sympathetic and inquisitive by those in attendance. Some of the time was spent airing concerns and grievances — quite politely — with the group saying they felt conservatives did not have a true voice in the generally liberal area of Silicon Valley. To reassure attendees that Facebook is open to all perspectives, the company walked them through a technical presentation on how it surfaces the most popular news stories on the site. When the group raised the issue of ideological diversity — or a lack thereof — among employees at Facebook, who mostly lean left, there was a pause. Attendees struggled to come to an agreement over how to solve the issue. Some suggested adding more training and in-depth job interviews, but were rebuffed by those who saw that as not being in line with conservative principles. That was all left behind later, when the Republican group — including Dana Perino of Fox News and Barry Bennett, a campaign coordinator for Donald J. Trump — were taken on a tour of Facebook’s campus.


For Facebook and Conservatives, a Collegial Meeting in Silicon Valley Facebook Political Conclave Called Productive (WSJ) Facebook meets with conservatives to allay concerns over bias (Financial Times) Zuckerberg hosts conservatives at Facebook HQ amid charges of bias (The Hill) Conservatives met with Mark Zuckerberg. They think Facebook is still biased. (Recode)