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Words of the Day
“The press is the best instrument for enlightening the mind of man, and improving him as a rational, moral and social being.” – Thomas Jefferson
Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Courted By Facebook
Facebook is in talks to hire Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s former White House press secretary, for a senior role to help manage the company’s communications, people briefed on the negotiations told The New York Times.
Apparently, Facebook is seeking Gibbs’ expertise ahead of an initial public offering planned for early 2012. Gibbs left the White House in February after two years on the job. The talks are still at an early stage and no formal offer has been made, meaning there remains a possibility that discussions could collapse.
Gibbs – who left the White House in February after two years on the job – had been planning to help establish President Obama’s re-election campaign before taking a private sector job, according to The New York Times.
Facebook is pressing Gibbs to consider the job more quickly, according to people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the conversations were supposed to remain confidential.
A job for Mr. Gibbs at Facebook could be worth millions of dollars. While details of his potential compensation package have yet to be discussed, people briefed on the talks said that he would receive a cash salary as well as shares ahead of the initial offering. Facebook is being valued by some investors at more than $60 billion and could be the largest offering in history.
Gibbs has consulted several of his former White House colleagues recently about whether he should take the job, including David Axelrod, President Obama’s former senior adviser, who is helping to head a re-election team, these people said. Gibbs and a spokesman for Facebook declined to comment to The New York Times.
Investor interest and the attention the company received from the movie “The Social Network” have increased pressure to communicate better with the public about its products and its policies.
Facebook has also become a focus inside the Beltway as lawmakers and regulators in D.C. grapple with online privacy issues and Internet security. Facebook has already stepped up its lobbying efforts in D.C., which have included discussions with the Federal Trade Commission, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Gibbs has recently held talks with a number of other companies, and his name has also been floated as a possible chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Politico reported.
It’s apparent that Facebook likes Gibbs … now, WordSmith wonders if Gibbs will like Facebook. He’s gotta like the $$$! Stay tuned to this social media saga!
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The WordSmith News Bureau is based at Deane Smith Media Innovations, a full-service PR, marketing and advertising agency. Got PR? Need marketing strategy? Ad consulting? Message Wordsmithing? Creative & online initiatives? Reach the WordSmith at wordsmith@deanesmithmedia.com