NEW YORK (AP) – Facebook has described in detail how its “Trending Topics” feature works, a reaction to a report Monday that claimed the social network downplays conservative news subjects. Facebook denied that report from the tech blog Gizmodo, which relied upon a single anonymous source. But it offered a look at its news feature after GOP leaders in the Senate wrote CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding an explanation. In its own blog post , the company said a series of checks and balances – involving both software formulas and humans – ensures that stories displayed in the “trending topics” section aren’t biased. The post linked to a 28-page internal document Facebook uses to determine trending topics, after the Guardian published a similar document that was leaked to it. Justin Osofsky, vice president of global operations, said “the guidelines do not permit reviewers to add or suppress political perspectives.” Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and chief executive of the social media site, took to Facebook on Thursday evening to say he plans to talk with leading conservatives in coming weeks.
