NPR is leaving Twitter along with other news organizations after several changes from Elon Musk.
The tech company has seen a chaotic several months since the social giant was purchased by multi-billionaire investor Elon Musk in 2022. Amid numerous tech issues, mass layoffs, and a change to Twitter’s popular legacy verification program, journalists and news organizations have come to criticize Musk’s choices.
Body guards follow Musk everywhere and he now sleeps at company headquarters amid the mounting controversies surrounding the platform. Notably, the choice to create Twitter Blue, which allows any user to pay for the once coveted blue check of verification, could pave the way to the spread of misinformation.
In addition to the impacts of the verification program changes, some Twitter users alleged last week that the platform was suppressing tweets about Substack. Substack is a popular newsletter platform that freelance writers often promote via Twitter. Amid these several issues, National Public Radio (NPR) announced their plans to depart from the social media platform today, making them the first major media organization to do so.
News: NPR becomes first major news org to stop using Twitter, saying that the Elon Musk-owned platform “is taking actions that undermine our credibility.”
“We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility…” pic.twitter.com/mtgprKRRfI
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 12, 2023
Behind NPR And Other News Organizations Relationship with Twitter
NPR currently owns 52 different accounts for its several different sections, podcasts, and local stations across the platform. The company plans to continue to use Instagram and send out a newsletter to subscribers. NPR’s accounts, notably NPR Interns (@NPRinterns) sparked numerous viral moments within pop culture and news in the past few years.
NPR announces that its 52 accounts “will no longer be active on Twitter,” citing the social media platform's decision to label NPR "state-affiliated media” https://t.co/i19ONf1tlL
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 12, 2023
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Geoff Brumfiel (@gbrumfiel), an NPR Science correspondent, confirmed that NPR journalists are allowed to maintain their individual presence on the platform if they wish.
NPR journalists can remain active on the platform if they choose to. Because of the really great OSINT community here, I will stick around.
But PLEASE! If you good people find somewhere else to hang (you know Minecraft Discord servers or whatever) let me know!
— Geoff Brumfiel (@gbrumfiel) April 12, 2023
The BBC reported that the news giant quit the platform over a change to their verification suggested that they were a government funded organization. NPR remains editorially independent of the U.S. government.
NPR quits Twitter over "government-funded" label https://t.co/RBRyhKr2db
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 12, 2023
Following the NPR announcement, LAist announced they would also suspend use of their account.
ANNOUNCEMENT: More information in this thread ????⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LnsVhzqoxR
— LAist (@LAist) April 12, 2023
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In reaction to NPR’s decision, Elon Musk tweeted “defund NPR.” The tweet was a part of a larger thread in which Musk continuously discredited the news organization.
Defund @NPR
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 12, 2023
Reporters are fact checking Musk’s statements on NPR’s funding across the internet. Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) confirmed that NPR received less than one percent of its funding from federal grants that all non-profit newsrooms are eligible to apply for, making federal funding a minimum.
NPR gets >1% of its funds from federal grants, grants which other non-profit newsrooms could apply for.
Neither Tesla or SpaceX would exist without MASSIVE government subsidies. Should they be defunded?
From 2013! https://t.co/l28qW1VvP7 https://t.co/x0q3LiMMJz
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) April 12, 2023
Due to the verification issues, some journalists and platform users allege that the company boosts hate speech. James Clayton of the BBC interviewed Musk this morning about the issue, and Musk retweeted the clip, insinuating that Clayton was lying.
This time with video & better audio https://t.co/js4nTQSSh3
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 12, 2023
Journalists felt that the clip spoke volumes on Musk’s leadership. The Evening Standard issued a report on just how much hate speech rose since Musk’s takeover, confirming the BBC’s initial report.
We found that hateful content has surged on Twitter since Elon Musk's takeover.
Our research in @EveningStandard exposes the Twitter Hellscape Musk created. https://t.co/mrjmprLGy1
— Center for Countering Digital Hate (@CCDHate) April 12, 2023
No other media organizations have departed the social media app at this time. Musk has not issued further comment on the social platform’s relationship with the media.
