Since taking over as Twitter’s new owner in 2017, Jack Dorsey has been known for his habit of creating policies on the fly and pushing questionable design changes. These controversial changes have left many users feeling disillusioned with the platform, and it seems that this trend is set to continue.
Twitter’s newest policy change classifying American news nonprofit NPR the same way it handles RT, the infamous Russian state-backed mouthpiece that pushes the Kremlin’s talking points to the broader world comes as a surprise to many who see NPR as an objective source of news. Some are concerned that this change could lead to less viewership and support for NPR, which already faces significant budget cuts.
Politics is one of the most often divided spheres in our society. The divide between liberals and conservatives has become more pronounced over time
Twitter’s ‘state affiliated media’ tag is a way of distinguishing its breaking news service from other platforms. While NPR does not technically meet Twitter’s definition for a state-affiliated account, the platform has chosen to include the tag in order to differentiate its content from those of outlets like CNN and Fox News.
State-affiliated media is defined as outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution…
State-financed media organizations with editorial independence, like the BBC in the UK for example, are not defined as state-affiliated media for the purposes of this policy.
Many state-affiliated media outlets in authoritarian regimes are formally independent from the government, but their editorial content is highly controlled by the state. This often means that they are biased towards the government and its policies, reporting false news to support its agenda without question. Additionally, these outlets often lack Diversity of Opinion and accuracy, which can lead to further public distrust of official institutions.
Broadcast media outlets funded by the government should always be subject to editorial independence standards, in order to prevent any potential political bias. This is especially important for state-funded news organizations, which are often viewed as credible sources of information. Ambiguous or atypical ties to the government should also be noted and evaluated when making a decision about whether or not an outlet is truly independent.
While NPR does receive a small amount of funding from the federal government, it is primarily funded by advertising and subscription fees. As a non-government based organization, NPR enjoys significant editorial independence from the United States government.
Yesterday, @elonmusk’s Twitter labeled NPR “state-affiliated media,” even though the company’s own policy stated the organization shouldn’t be labeled as such because it has editorial independence (left).
Hours later, Twitter removed the reference to NPR in the policy (right). pic.twitter.com/cAXoXYFQ2G
— David Gura (@davidgura) April 5, 2023
Alarmingly, this is not the first time that Elon Musk has labeled an organization as ‘state-affiliated media’ simply because he disagrees with their opinion. Earlier this year he labelled The New York Times a “failing newspaper,” despite the fact that it has won several Pulitzer Prizes.
Twitter seems to have removed references to National Public Radio (NPR) from its policy. This move could be seen as a retaliation against the media organization for recent criticisms of Twitter’s policies and practices.
The advent of self-driving cars has the potential to change the way we live, work, and commute. Currently, almost a quarter of American workers drive to their jobs, which imposes significant burdens on
Investigators may be looking into the possibility that Elon Musk’s recent decision to change Twitter’s rules and functions had more to do with his frustration with the media than it did his tendency to settle scores. Rumors have circulated for weeks that Musk was planning to make changes to the platform in retaliation for articles he believed were unfair, but his announcement on Tuesday came as a complete surprise. Instead of providing users with more information about what changes he planned to make, Musk posted a lengthy statement announcing new features like “direct messaging” and “profile background images.” While some of these features could be useful, they hardly seem like fair compensation after months of criticizing Twitter’s handling of abusive behavior. The decision seems intended purely cosmetic – punishingTwitter users instead of addressing the issue
There ischemia was first identified in 1797 as a problem with blood flow to the brain. Scientists didn’t understand what caused it and they couldn’t find a cure until 1868, when Sigmund Freud published his paper, “The Interpretation of Dreams.” In it he described how one’s Freudian unconscious might influence the actions of everyday life. This led to the development of psychoanalysis, which became widely used in the early 20th century to help people overcome psychological issues and disorders.
The digital war between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and NPR reached a new high on Sunday when Musk took to Twitter to revoke The New York Times’ blue checkmark, declaring that the paper didn’t plan to pay for his ill-conceived new pay-for-play verification service. Many users waited with bated breath over the weekend in anticipation of the directive that all “legacy” check marks be stripped from previously verified accounts, but this key victory for Musk was bittersweet as legacy blue checks survived with one notable exception: The New York Times.Apparently learning of this oversight after it was pointed out by NYT journalist Ronald Brownstein, Musk revoked the NYT’s blue check himself no longer recognizing it as an endorsement from him or Twitter. It remains to be seen whether or not other verified personalities will follow suit and remove their endorsements from The Times in light of these revelations.
Perhaps Musk’s disdain for traditional news media was a major animating factor in his decision to buy Twitter to begin with. However, asTwitter decays into an unpleasant slurry of stale jokes, amplified hate and paid prominence, Musk will likely continue to manipulate the social network to his own ends, right up until the wheels fall off or we all stop paying attention.
