When Chief Executives Share Company News on Facebook

RealNetworks, an online media pioneer that is trying to turn itself around, told employees that it would lay off 14 percent of them, or about 160 people over the next seven months, starting with 80 right away. Instead of trying to keep his e-mail to the staff a secret, though, Rob Glaser, the founder of RealNetworks and its interim chief executive, cut and pasted it onto his Facebook page. RealNetworks made the layoffs public through filings with securities regulators, but the e-mail Glaser shared online provided a clearer window into the emotional impact of the layoffs.

In a short e-mail in response to a question about the Facebook posts, Glaser said he was limiting them to major companywide e-mail messages. Glaser isn’t the only executive to turn to Facebook to share news. In July, Reed Hastings, Netflix’s chief executive, posted a message on his page congratulating Ted Sarandos, the Netflix executive who cuts licensing deals with Hollywood studios, for reaching a big milestone in viewership for its movie streaming service.