Just in: NPR leaving Twitter just because Elon Musk labeled it Wrong

National Public Radio (NPR) announced that it is leaving Twitter due to the social media platform labeling their account as “government-funded media.” Twitter later changed the label to “state-affiliated media,” which still upset NPR.

NPR claims that the labeling undermines their credibility by falsely implying that they are not editorially independent.

NPR is a non-profit news organization that receives less than 1% of its funding from the government. The labeling of their account by Twitter can be viewed as a form of censorship that negatively impacts NPR’s reputation. This labeling can potentially harm NPR’s reputation and make them appear less trustworthy to their readers.

In response to NPR’s announcement, Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, tweeted, “Defund @NPR.” This tweet is just the latest example of Musk’s ongoing tiff with the media. Musk has previously made headlines for his criticism of media outlets, including The New York Times and CNN.

Musk’s decision to label NPR as “government-funded media” is a controversial move that could have a significant impact on the public’s perception of NPR. Twitter’s labeling of NPR’s account also raises concerns about the platform’s commitment to free speech and the editorial independence of news organizations.

Overall, NPR’s decision to leave Twitter highlights the ongoing debate about the role of social media in shaping public discourse and the importance of editorial independence in the news media.

Twitter has long positioned itself as a platform for keeping track of current events, which has made it an attractive place for news organizations to share their stories. However, this relationship has become strained since Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, began labeling news outlets as “government-funded media” or “state-affiliated media.”

National Public Radio (NPR) recently announced that it is leaving Twitter due to the platform’s labeling of their account as “government-funded media.” PBS has also stopped tweeting from its main account due to Twitter’s “simplistic label” that leaves the inaccurate impression that PBS is wholly funded by the federal government.

Musk has expressed disdain for professional journalists, stating that he wants to elevate the views and expertise of the “average citizen.” However, media analysts argue that the growing friction between Twitter and news organizations is bad for both Twitter and the public.

Paul Barrett, deputy director of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, stated that it is a shame that Twitter is categorizing Russian propaganda outlets in a similar way to very legitimate news sources that receive a very modest amount of funding from the U.S. government. This labeling can potentially harm the reputation and credibility of news organizations that are editorially independent.

Musk’s history of tangling with mainstream news organizations is not new. He abruptly suspended the accounts of individual journalists who wrote about Twitter last year, claiming that some were trying to reveal his location.

The tension between Twitter and news organizations highlights the ongoing debate about the role of social media in shaping public discourse and the importance of editorial independence in the news media.

The platform’s labeling of news outlets as “government-funded media” raises concerns about its commitment to free speech and the potential impact on the public’s perception of these organizations.

Overall, the labeling of news organizations as “government-funded media” by Twitter has caused several news organizations to leave the platform, including NPR and PBS. This tension highlights the ongoing debate about the role of social media in shaping public discourse and the importance of editorial independence in the news media.

In April, Twitter removed the verification check mark from The New York Times’ main account, singling out the newspaper and disparaging its reporting after it declined to pay Twitter for verification of its institutional accounts. Twitter used to tag journalists and other high-profile accounts with blue check marks to verify their identity, but Musk plans to take them away from anyone not buying a premium subscription.

Paul Barrett, deputy director of the NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, believes that Musk is intent on “insulting and antagonizing individuals and organizations that he considers to be too liberal for his taste.” However, by driving away legitimate news outlets, Twitter is only harming itself.

NPR’s main account, which had been on Twitter since 2007, stopped tweeting on April 4. On Wednesday, NPR announced that it would no longer be active on Twitter due to the platform’s actions that undermine its credibility.

NPR stated that Twitter’s labeling of their account as “government-funded media” is misleading and falsely implies that they are not editorially independent. NPR listed other places to find its journalism in a series of tweets.

Barrett said that Twitter’s recent actions are a drift in an unfortunate direction. Instead of driving away reliable news outlets, Twitter should be encouraging their presence and prolific reporting on its platform. The tension between Twitter and news organizations highlights the ongoing debate about the role of social media in shaping public discourse and the importance of editorial independence in the news media.

Overall, Twitter’s removal of the verification check mark from The New York Times and its labeling of news organizations as “government-funded media” has caused several reputable news outlets to leave the platform.

Musk’s plans to take away blue check marks from anyone not buying a premium subscription have also been criticized. The ongoing debate about the role of social media in shaping public discourse and the importance of editorial independence in the news media will continue to be a topic of discussion as platforms like Twitter continue to evolve.

National Public Radio (NPR) announced on April 28 that it was quitting Twitter due to the platform’s decision to add the label “state-affiliated media” to its main account. Twitter later changed the label to “government-funded media,” but NPR still felt that it was misleading.

The decision was made after Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, tweeted “Defund @NPR” in response to the label. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) also announced that it had stopped tweeting from its main account and had no plans to resume, as Twitter’s label gives the inaccurate impression that PBS is wholly funded by the federal government.

Twitter used to tag journalists and other high-profile accounts with blue check marks to verify their identity and distinguish them from impostors. However, Musk has derided the marks as an undeserved status symbol and plans to take them away from anyone not buying a premium subscription. Media analysts say growing friction between Twitter and news organizations since Musk bought the platform is bad for Twitter, and bad for the public.

NPR does receive US government funding through grants from federal agencies and departments, along with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The company has said it accounts for less than 1% of NPR’s annual operating budget.

Much of its funding comes from sponsorships and dues from its member stations around the US, which in turn get revenue from a range of funders including public institutions, corporate donors, and listeners.

NPR spokesperson Isabel Lara said its journalists, employees, and member stations can decide on their own if they want to keep using the platform. NPR journalists have not been given the “government-funded” label, at least not yet. In an interview with a BBC technology reporter at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters, Musk acknowledged that the British organization “is not thrilled” about the label it received and asked the reporter for feedback.

“Our goal was simply to be as truthful and accurate as possible,” Musk said. “So I think we’re adjusting the label to be ‘publicly funded,’ which I think is perhaps not too objectionable. We’re trying to be accurate.” The BBC said it would welcome being described as publicly funded instead of government-funded. Hours later, BBC got its “publicly funded media” label, but not NPR or PBS.

Twitter’s new labels have often appeared arbitrarily assigned. For example, Twitter hasn’t added the “government-funded” label for many other public broadcasting organizations, such as those in Canada and Australia.

It also has changed some labels without explanation, such as when it removed a “United Arab Emirates state-affiliated media” tag from the profile of Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper earlier this year. PEN America, a literary organization, said news organizations are making understandable responses to Twitter’s “unpredictable and capricious” policy decisions, but the loss to consumers will be significant.

The move by NPR and PBS is just the latest example of Musk tangling with mainstream news organizations. He abruptly suspended the accounts of individual journalists who wrote about Twitter late last year, claiming some were trying to reveal his location.

Media analysts say that by driving away legitimate news outlets, Twitter is only harming itself. The goal of Twitter is to encourage sources of reliable, well-reported news to be present and prolific on its platform.

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