TeenVogue/Facebook/2020 Election Security sponsored content thing blows up badly
Wow, this blew up and imploded and tried to disappear quickly.
Not sure what happened, but -- a piece went up first not identified as sponsored editorial content. Then, a label was added. And finally, the piece was taken down altogether.
Now, Facebook says it was *not* sponsored editorial content?
Here's the story in 3 images.
Then, moments later, after being dragged by media-watchers on Twitter...
2. Now identified as 'sponsored editorial content.'
But not for long! Within less than one hour...
3. Bye-bye.
We hardly knew ye.
interesting pivot for Teen Vogue here to" Facebook PR? https://t.co/9piUkJOHYW
- Steven Perlberg (@perlberg) January 8, 2020
fwiw, FB disputes this. Says it's a "purely editorial" story, not sponcon https://t.co/tLeSZYgAgF
- Rob Price (@robaeprice) January 8, 2020
Some weird things going on with this Teen Vogue story I'm seeing lots of Facebook employees share today https://t.co/lveRoORpaa
- Alex Heath (@alexeheath) January 8, 2020
Timeline for the vogue article:
Not labeled as spon on publish
Labeled as spon by 9:08
not labeled as spon at 9:53
taken down by 9:57- Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) January 8, 2020
Publishing this sort of uncritical corporate propaganda is especially noxious on a website like Teen Vogue.
The website's demographic doesn't remember in a world without Facebook.
To frame this as a fun guide to election integrity is shameful.https://t.co/fimjbUVDqg pic.twitter.com/kK4HVQSERM
- Ryan Broderick (@broderick) January 8, 2020
Teen Vogue / Facebook article now appears to have been removed: pic.twitter.com/kY3IFWw8m9
- Alexandra S. Levine (@Ali_Lev) January 8, 2020
Let's play a fun game of spot the difference between 20 minutes ago and now pic.twitter.com/bfbVTw6peQ
- nathan ma (@nthnashma) January 8, 2020
Teen Vogue is gonna need the Pentagon to confirm that deleted Facebook post was only a draft memo
- Alex Konrad (@alexrkonrad) January 8, 2020
teen vogue just added a disclaimer to the post. it's literally a Facebook ad. https://t.co/7tLyXmP5gY
- dell cameron (@dellcam) January 8, 2020
Even sketchier, Teen Vogue's Facebook "article" is both unbylined and has been put in their "government" vertical, which when you click on it goes... nowhere? pic.twitter.com/ztAgfcRwOp
- Ryan Broderick (@broderick) January 8, 2020