Stop the presses, folks! NPR and PBS have declared war on Twitter, and it’s all because of Elon Musk – the mercurial billionaire who has been running the show since last year. According to reports, Twitter tagged the accounts of both organizations as “state-affiliated media”, causing a major backlash that has prompted both to suspend their tweeting activities. But while PBS has left the door open to returning at some point, NPR is walking away for good. Yes, you heard that right – NPR is ditching Twitter like a bad habit, leaving nearly 9 million followers hanging in the wind. And they’re taking their music account with them, which has almost 750,000 followers.
NPR and PBS were none too pleased at the “government-funded” tag that Twitter gave them, claiming it undermined their credibility and editorial independence. NPR, in a statement last Wednesday, said they were “turning away from Twitter but not from our audiences and communities”. In other words, they’re not taking their ball and going home, they’re just not playing with Twitter anymore. PBS, for its part, said that the label was simplistic and gave an inaccurate impression of its funding sources. We have to agree – “government-funded” sounds like something you’d see in a dystopian sci-fi movie.
PBS spokesperson Jeremy Gaines said they had no plans to return to Twitter, but were monitoring the situation closely. Hang on a second, Jeremy – isn’t monitoring Twitter kind of like watching paint dry? Meanwhile, NPR has declined to tweet from its main account or related institutional accounts. That includes @NPRMusic, which has almost three-quarters of a million followers. We’re not saying it’s a big deal or anything, but that’s a lot of people who won’t be getting their music fix over Twitter anymore.
Several public radio stations have also said they won’t be posting content on Twitter anymore. So if you’re a KCRW listener in Santa Monica or a WEKU listener in eastern Kentucky, you’ll need to find another way to get your news fix. But the real story here is the escalating feud between news media and Elon Musk. This isn’t the first time Twitter has caused problems for journalists, but it’s definitely a sign of the times. What happened to the good old days when journalists could just walk into the newsroom and start typing away without having to worry about being tagged “state-affiliated” or “government-funded”?
Speaking of tags, Twitter has also applied the “government-funded” label to other news outlets that receive public support, such as PBS, BBC, and Voice of America. The BBC has objected but continues to tweet. Twitter responded to a request for comment with a poop emoji, which is apparently their go-to response these days. Nice one, Twitter. That should really help clear things up.
NPR CEO John Lansing said Twitter’s actions were “exceptionally harmful” and set a dangerous precedent. He’s right – this is a slippery slope that could lead to all kinds of unpleasantness. In an interview, Lansing said he has lost faith in Twitter’s decision-making and wouldn’t return to the platform even if the labels were removed. “I would need some time to understand whether Twitter can be trusted again”, he said. That’s a pretty big if, John. We wouldn’t hold our breath if we were you.
In the ultimate mic drop moment, Musk recently claimed he had appointed his dog as CEO of Twitter during a combative interview with a BBC reporter. We’re not sure if he was joking, but it wouldn’t be the craziest thing he’s said or done. Musk also admitted that he didn’t fully understand NPR’s relationship with the government when he ordered them to be designated as state-affiliated. Oops. Maybe he should stick to rockets and electric cars and leave Twitter alone.
In conclusion, whether you think NPR and PBS are making a bold move or a boneheaded one, one thing is clear: the battle lines are being drawn in the war between news media and social media. As for Twitter, well, we’ll just leave it at that poop emoji.
