Here’s what you can expect of substance at this week’s hearing with Mark Zuckerberg CEO and founder of Facebook. Not much…unless he makes a very big gaffe.
Remember: high profile hearings are more theater than substance. They are highly choreographed events with the key players knowing their roles and lines to deliver.
I still remember the analysis on airline deregulation hearings from an aide to late Sen Ted Kennedy: everyone knows the script. The Senator knows the questions to ask. He or she also knows what the answers will be. At the opportune moment — usually after a probing question and inadequate response — the Senator will turn to the camera and deliver a prepared statement that he or she knows will be used in coverage.
What else makes it theater? Much like a Broadway play that has previews in other cities, Team Zuckerberg has been rehearsing in the office of a high powered DC law firm. The team has been role-playing the different senators, mimicking their questioning styles and even tone of voice. Zuckerberg gets to deliver a soliloquy, aka opening statement.
What could go wrong?
- There’s a question that no one anticipated. Probably won’t happen, but it could be a nuance that trips him up and becomes a headline.
- Zuckerberg thinks he is in improv rather than a player in a set theater piece. Witnesses who go off script usually run into trouble.
- Zuckerberg comes across as if he is the star of the show vs a role player.
Back in Silicon Valley, MZ is the star. In Washington, remember your place.