Expert available to discuss Facebook Oversight Board's decision on Trump's account

Reporters: Girish Mallapragada, a social media marketing expert at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, is available Wednesday (May 5) to discuss the Facebook Oversight Board's decision to uphold Facebook's ban on former President Donald Trump.

In advance of the announcement, Mallapragada, an associate professor of marketing and Weimer Faculty Fellow, said he questioned whether the board’s decision will have much of an impact on Trump’s outreach to his followers.

He noted that Trump’s rise in popularity primarly came through his use of another social media platform, Twitter, and not as much through Facebook.

“He was more adept at short form communication than long contextual messages. Twitter is ideal for the former, Facebook for the latter,” Mallapragada said. “Twitter is closest online to a live large audience, where he thrives.”

“If Facebook allows him to comeback, it might make people unhappy and others happy, but I don’t think it would be impactful to make a big difference.”

George Vlahakis, associate director of communications and media relations at Kelley, can help arrange for interviews with Mallapragada, and can be reached at vlahakis@iu.edu.