Facebook’s top PR exec is leaving

After a bruising year for the social media giant, longtime communications head Caryn Marooney is helping search for her replacement.

Her departure comes after a year in which Facebook has found itself in the crosshairs of, well, pretty much everybody, from the media to government to consumers, as it faced a range of vexing controversies.

Because Facebook needs all the experienced communications hands it can get these days along with the Russian malfeasance, it also has faced intense criticism over data snafus, hacking, the spread of disinformation, deaths in India and elsewhere due to sloppy management of the platform, and controversies over privacy, including a recent incident with Apple.

In her job running global communications for Facebook, Marooneys purview has encompassed its most critical products, including the flagship Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, as well as its AR and VR efforts. She is also the closest PR executive to CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg, having worked for Facebook as an outside consultant for three years before she was hired.

While a lot of leave-takings at Facebook of late have been linked to its troubles, the Marooney departure seems sanguine in comparison. She will stay at the company until a replacement is found and has not gotten publicly dragged into its most toxic messes.

The head of policy and comms, Elliot Schrage, announced he was leaving last year and was replaced by Nick Clegg, who was deputy prime minister of the UK.

And still another, Debbie Frost, Facebooks longest-serving PR exec who leads global communications and public affairs also told colleagues she was leaving a few weeks ago.

But so much has stayed the same there is so much good happening on Facebook and the entire family of apps every day.

Original article
Author: Recode

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