The US radio network NPR announced on Wednesday that it will cease its activity on Twitter, marking a significant departure for a major news organization since Elon Musk’s controversial acquisition of the platform.
This decision follows a week of contentious dialogue regarding Twitter’s choice to designate NPR as “state-affiliated media,” a categorization reserved for major news outlets in authoritarian regimes like Russia and China.
NPR, which holds a high level of respect within the United States, had already halted posts from its primary Twitter account while it awaited a response from the platform. Twitter eventually altered its labeling of NPR to “government-funded media,” a term it also applied to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
In a brief statement, NPR declared that all of its organizational accounts would be inactive on Twitter due to the platform’s actions that jeopardize its credibility by incorrectly suggesting it lacks editorial independence.
The organization emphasized that there are numerous alternative ways to engage with NPR’s news, music, and cultural content, directing users to other platforms in a concluding tweet.
Musk has previously voiced strong criticism of news organizations and recently added an automatic poop emoji as a response to emails from journalists.
“Defund @NPR,” Musk tweeted on Wednesday, alluding to a movement advocating to cut funding for police departments.
News organizations face challenges in distancing themselves from Twitter, which continues to serve as a primary communication platform for celebrities, politicians, and public figures.
A spokesperson for NPR informed AFP that while its journalists and affiliate stations may choose to maintain their presence on Twitter, the main organization itself would not.
NPR’s withdrawal occurred shortly after Musk indicated in a BBC interview on Tuesday that the labeling decision might have been a mistake and mentioned the possibility of changing it to “publicly-funded.”
Musk also addressed Twitter’s move to revoke the verified blue check mark from the New York Times after the publication declined to pay for its retention.
Starting April 20, legacy verified accounts under the prior ownership of Twitter will need to subscribe to Twitter Blue to retain their verification status.
Musk stated one reason for this change is his desire to prevent Twitter from favoring a “privileged class of journalists” who define what qualifies as news.
‘Rollercoaster’
In his interview, Musk described the operation of the social media service as “quite a rollercoaster,” acknowledging numerous mistakes made since his $44 billion takeover six months ago.
When reflecting on his tenure, Musk stated it has been a “stressful situation” recently. He remarked, “Were there many mistakes made along the way? Of course. But all’s well that ends well. I feel like we’re headed to a good place.”
He claimed the company is “roughly breaking even,” attributing this in part to substantial layoffs that reduced the staff from 7,000 to 1,500 following the acquisition.
Despite reports claiming an uptick in misinformation and hateful content since his leadership began, Musk countered, insisting, “You said you see more hateful content, but you can’t even name a single one. You just lied!”
Embodying his reputation as a relentless workaholic, Musk noted that he has often slept on a couch at Twitter’s headquarters.
When asked about the new CEO of Twitter, a position he vowed to fill, Musk humorously named his dog, Floki.
