Edited on Jun 24, 2026.
Facebook continues to face substantial corporate communications challenges across multiple categories. The recent New York Times investigative report titled "Delay, Deny and Deflect: How Facebook's Leaders Fought Through Crisis," published November 14, has produced one of the more substantial recent technology industry corporate communications case studies. The combined report, the broader Definers Public Affairs disclosure, the Cambridge Analytica continuing fallout, and the broader Facebook crisis communications environment combine into one of the most substantial recent corporate communications stories.
This is the working read on what Facebook is actually doing wrong, what the broader pattern of communications failures looks like, and what the broader corporate communications category should be taking from the situation.
The "Delay, Deny and Deflect" Investigation
The New York Times investigation by Sheera Frenkel, Nicholas Confessore, Cecilia Kang, Matthew Rosenberg, and Jack Nicas, reported across six months, detailed substantial Facebook crisis communications shortfalls. Several specific elements distinguish the broader investigation.
The sustained crisis response pattern. The investigation documents substantial Facebook delays, denials, and deflections across multiple recent crisis categories. The combined pattern substantially shapes broader Facebook corporate communications environment.
The Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg engagement. The investigation includes substantial detail on Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg's broader crisis communications roles. The combined founder-COO engagement substantially shapes broader Facebook crisis communications outcomes.
The internal sources. The investigation cited substantial internal Facebook sources. The combined internal sourcing substantially adds credibility to the broader investigation.
The political-context elements. The investigation detailed broader political-context engagement including the broader Facebook relationship with U.S. political figures. The combined political-context elements substantially shape broader Facebook regulatory environment.
The Definers Public Affairs Disclosure
The investigation included substantial disclosure about Facebook's broader relationship with Definers Public Affairs, a Republican-aligned opposition-research firm.
The Definers engagement. Facebook reportedly hired Definers Public Affairs to mount substantial counter-narrative work against Facebook critics including the Soros family, the Open Markets Institute, and broader advocacy coalitions including Freedom from Facebook.
The Soros-targeting work. The Definers work reportedly included substantial opposition research targeting the Soros family. The combined Soros-targeting work has produced substantial press attention given broader anti-Semitic-adjacent dynamics.
The Facebook denial-then-acknowledgment. Facebook initially denied substantial knowledge of Definers' broader tactics. Subsequent disclosures have substantially contradicted the initial denials. The combined denial-then-acknowledgment pattern substantially affects broader Facebook credibility.
The Definers termination. Facebook terminated the Definers relationship within 24 hours of the New York Times report. The combined termination substantially reflects broader Facebook crisis communications dynamics.
The Elliot Schrage blog post. Facebook head of communications Elliot Schrage posted to the Facebook blog on November 21, the eve of Thanksgiving, substantially acknowledging that Facebook had directed Definers to investigate Soros funding of critics. The combined holiday-eve disclosure has substantially affected broader Facebook communications credibility.
The Sandberg subsequent acknowledgment. Sandberg has subsequently acknowledged receiving Definers research personally, substantially contradicting earlier denials. The combined Sandberg acknowledgment has substantially affected broader Facebook credibility.
The Broader Cambridge Analytica Context
The combined Definers episode sits on top of the broader Cambridge Analytica crisis that continues to substantially affect Facebook.
The March 2018 Cambridge Analytica revelations detailed substantial third-party data harvesting from approximately 87 million Facebook users through a personality-quiz developer integration. The combined data was used in broader political-targeting work tied to the 2016 U.S. election and the broader Brexit campaign.
Facebook's broader response across the Cambridge Analytica situation unfolded across multiple months. Zuckerberg's first public statement came five days after the initial reports — a delay that has substantially affected broader Facebook crisis communications credibility.
The broader Federal Trade Commission settlement negotiations continue to substantially shape Facebook's broader regulatory positioning. The eventual settlement will substantially affect broader Facebook regulatory environment across coming quarters.
The Recurring Failure Patterns
Several specific failure patterns substantially affect Facebook's broader crisis communications.
The delayed initial response. Zuckerberg's first public statement on Cambridge Analytica came five days after initial reports. The Definers episode produced 24-hour silence before initial response. The combined delays substantially affect broader Facebook crisis communications outcomes.
The denial-then-acknowledgment pattern. Multiple Facebook initial denials have been subsequently contradicted by reporting. The combined denial-then-acknowledgment pattern substantially affects broader Facebook credibility.
The holiday-eve and Friday-evening disclosures. The November 21 Schrage Thanksgiving-eve blog post represents one of the more transparent recent corporate communications deflection patterns. The combined holiday-eve disclosure approach substantially affects broader Facebook credibility.
The founder-COO crisis communications role. Zuckerberg and Sandberg have operated as the public faces of Facebook's broader crisis response across multiple categories. The combined founder-COO crisis communications role substantially affects broader Facebook crisis outcomes.
The opposition-research tactics. Facebook's reported use of opposition-research tactics targeting critics substantially affects broader Facebook brand standing. The combined opposition-research tactics produce substantial long-term brand reputation costs.
What the Broader Corporate Communications Category Should Take from This
Five operating considerations for brand and communications teams thinking about the broader Facebook situation.
Respond first, fast, and on the record. The 24-hour window matters substantially. Communications teams handling major crises should plan for substantial 24-hour response capability.
Never deny what the next news cycle will confirm. The combined Facebook denial-then-acknowledgment sequences demonstrate how broader initial denials produce substantially more damage than original disclosures. Communications teams should plan for sustained accuracy across initial responses.
Separate the communications function from the founder when the founder is the subject of investigation. The combined Facebook situation demonstrates how founder-CEO crisis communications roles substantially compound damage when the founder is the subject of investigation. Communications teams should consider how founder roles intersect with crisis communications.
Holiday-eve and Friday-evening disclosures are transparent. The combined Schrage Thanksgiving-eve disclosure demonstrates how broader holiday-eve disclosure approaches are substantially transparent to broader audiences. Communications teams should avoid holiday-eve and Friday-evening disclosure approaches.
Opposition-research tactics are corrosive. The combined Facebook Definers situation demonstrates how opposition-research tactics targeting critics substantially affect broader brand standing. Communications teams should avoid opposition-research tactics regardless of short-term tactical considerations.
The Bottom Line
Facebook's broader crisis communications represent one of the more substantial recent corporate communications case studies. The combined Cambridge Analytica continuing fallout, the Definers Public Affairs disclosure, the "Delay, Deny and Deflect" investigation, and the broader crisis communications pattern substantially shape Facebook's broader corporate communications environment. The eventual broader Facebook crisis communications recovery will substantially shape coming quarters of corporate communications practice. The brand and PR teams across the broader corporate communications category should be monitoring the situation continuously. The lessons about response speed, denial-then-acknowledgment patterns, founder-CEO crisis roles, holiday-eve disclosures, and opposition-research tactics will continue to develop. Facebook's broader crisis communications situation will remain one of the more consequential recent corporate communications case studies.
