Last but not least: Facebook gets former government spokesman
Facebook wants to hire a presidential spokesperson? Of course. And the social network is getting one—but not just anyone, the presidential spokesperson for Bill «I didn’t inhale» Clinton.
On Wednesday, the world's largest online network announced as its new hire Joe Lockhart, the former press secretary to President Bill Clinton. Former Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs reportedly bailed out earlier after Facebook's offer to him leaked to the media. Lockhart could handle today's round-the-clock news cycle due to his experience in the White House, Facebook communications chief Elliot Schrage said, according to SDA. He will be responsible for corporate, political and international communications. He will start on July 15 and move from Washington to California as soon as his family commitments allow, the statement added.
Joe Lockhart was Clinton's spokesman during his second term, from 1998 to 2000, a period that included the impeachment proceedings against Clinton following the scandal involving intern Monica Lewinsky. A year later, in 2001, Lockhart founded his own PR firm.
Facebook, which now has around 600 million members, is repeatedly at the center of data protection discussions. The network could therefore do with the services of an experienced political communicator.
