The American public radio station NPR stopped actively using Twitter. The news outlet said it made this decision because Twitter ignored “repeated requests” to remove a label that described National Public Radio as “state-affiliated media”.
The station received the label earlier this month, which NPR describes as the same as Chinese and Russian state media. NPR later emphasized that it operates independently of the US government. The label has been adjusted accordingly, but the current “government funded” label is also said to be inaccurate by the news outlet.
As far as we know, it’s the first major news outlet to decide to leave Twitter. “We believe this label is intended to question our journalistic independence and undermine our credibility,” the news outlet writes. “If we keep tweeting, every message will be flagged as misleading.”
“Doesn’t interest the public”
Speaking at NPR’s morning meeting today, the organization’s executive director said Twitter is not used by most Americans, generates little traffic for NPR, and “no longer has the public importance it once had.” NPR journalists are allowed to make their own assessments.
The BBC was also classified as “state-funded”. The British public broadcaster protested this two days ago. The BBC is and has always been independent. “We are funded by the people of the UK through royalty payments,” the organization said in a statement.
The BBC has contacted owner Elon Musk. He asked the organization if the term “government funded” was correct. He also suggested adding information about the source of the BBC’s income. Later, via email, he added that Twitter strives for “maximum transparency and accuracy” and that “media organizations should be self-aware and not falsely claim that there is no bias.” In Musk’s eyes, the BBC is one of the least biased media outlets.
Musk has promised to change the BBC’s label to “publicly funded”. It’s unclear whether he will do the same for NPR and whether that will make a difference for the news organization.
Musk’s contact with the BBC led to something else: an interview with the Twitter owner. The BBC’s North American tech correspondent requested this yesterday afternoon (US time) and received it the same evening. In that interview, Musk admitted that he bought Twitter because otherwise the judge would force him to do so.
When asked if he regretted his purchase, he said “the pain level is extremely high” and “no partying”. He describes the company’s management as “not boring” and “quite a quick ride”.
Source: NOS

Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.