IS FACEBOOK CENSORING MISSISSIPPI MATTERS? YOU DECIDE.
Over our first year, Mississippi Matters has enjoyed steady growth and great exchanges with readers--and critics. (Thanks!)
Now Facebook steps in.
has started blocking
some normal efforts
to reach new readers.
Due to Facebook's move, we're still growing but aren't able to reach as many new people.
Here's how Facebook is--arguably--censoring us.
A key way we reach more readers is by boosting our posts.
If you saw a post today on state mayors who are being paid big salaries, then you saw a post that Facebook BLOCKED BOOSTING to help others see. Even though the post merely reports neutral facts many Mississippians want to know--no matter their creed or political leanings.
Blocking boosts prevents more
people from seeing our posts.
A boost works like this:
1. We post a new piece (Facebook calls these "ads.")
2. We punch a button on our dashboard that says "boost."
3. We pay $1 or more (no real limit).
4. The new post reaches more folks who fit our profile.
For a good while we had no problems. Then Facebook started denying some boosts, saying they violated their "advertising policies" and are too political. (Do they apply this standard evenhandedly to other blog/websites? We imagine you know the answer.)
While we run posts on gov. waste, abuse and fraud, more of our posts are apolitical. History. Devotional. Reflections. Literary.
But they recently denied a post
by a fine writer--not a "conservative"--
on great Mississippi writers!
So we're asking you to help us reach new people by liking our Facebook page.
When you like us, more people see us and can chose to read or not read us. It's their choice, not Facebook's.
Almost 3,000 of you have liked us in our first year. Thanks so much.
Understandably, some folks don't know quite how the like process goes. Below is how to like our page.
