“We made a mistake.” Says Facebook, Robert Paisola Reports
New York City– Facebook suspended the accounts of more than 200 members of the International Media on January 15, 2021, in the wake of The Washington DC Riots that took place against The US Capitol in Washington DC, on January 6, after US President Trump spoke to Members of a Large #StopTheSteal Protest Group, leaving five people dead. One of those accounts was that of Robert Paisola, A Las Vegas Based Correspondent for The Associated Press, Reuters, and NBC News.
“I woke up to find that my account had been suspended this morning,” said Paisola. “I went to post to our News Feed, and It presented a Message saying that “Activities are limited for a week,” said Paisola. The suspension shows how vulnerable even members of the media are to the actions of social media platforms during the midst of a Worldwide Event that caused US President Trump to Be Impeached in the House of Representatives for the Second time.
Indigenous members of the Media who Covered The Action Live, as Paisola did, have been vocal opponents of Facebook’s Actions against Trump. In a conversation with Anthony Harrison, Facebook’s Director of Media Relations stated “The Suspension of the Right to Post on Facebook against Mr. Paisola was a Mistake” and immediate corrective actions have been taken to resolve the matter, he stated. “I believe that this group of National Journalists Got Caught Up in the Trump Matter,” said Harrison.
In May, the same thing happened during the Peak of the Covid-19 Crisis. They had a near-identical situation that affected over 900 journalists. Many of the Suspended Journalists received notices that their accounts would be suspended for up to three days.
The suspensions curbed when members of the Media Flooded Facebooks, Palo Alto, California Headquarters, while socially distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It left some scrambling to communicate without Facebook messenger, and it now has Members of the National Media rethinking how effectively they can do their job outside of the Social Media Platform.
“We made a Mistake,” Said Harrison. All the Accounts will be restored within 24 hours” “It is, and always has been the policy of Facebook, to provide for a Free and Open Media” He stated.
All that Robert Paisola Of Western Capital could say is “I will believe it when I see it, this is no Mistake… This is censorship at its Worst”, he said.
Robert Paisola is a National Journalist reporting for The Associated Press, Reuters, and NBC News. He is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and New York City.
Associated Press writer Gillian Montgomery in Washington DC. Contributed to this Report.
This story will be updated as additional details become available.
