Sometimes the truth hurts and what Elon Musk said about one media outlet was particularly painful.
After a week of back-and-forth argument they left in a huff.
And NPR threw a toddler-like tantrum and quit Twitter after Elon Musk exposed one truth.
NPR has announced its decision to quit Twitter after being labeled “state-affiliated media.”
The taxpayer-funded media outlet said it will step away from the social media platform in order to supposedly “protect journalism.”
The chain of events was set into motion last week after Twitter labeled NPR “U.S. state-affiliated media” in its bio.
The legacy media outlet is the first major news organization to essentially quit the platform.
“NPR’s organizational accounts will no longer be active on Twitter because the platform is taking actions that undermine our credibility by falsely implying that we are not editorially independent,” NPR said in a statement. “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of our editorial independence. We are turning away from Twitter but not from our audience and communities. There are plenty of ways to stay connected and keep up with NPR’s news, music, and cultural content.”
After the initial “state-affiliated media” designation, Twitter faced public pressure to pull the label that NPR shared with such outlets as Russian state-owned TASS, Russian state-controlled RT, and Communist China’s official state news agency, Xinhua.
NPR President and CEO John Lansing released a statement condemning the initial designation, saying, “We were disturbed to see last night that Twitter has labeled NPR as ‘state-affiliated media,’ a description that, per Twitter’s own guidelines, does not apply to NPR. NPR and our member stations are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide. It is unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way. A vigorous, vibrant free press is essential to the health of our democracy.”
When questioned over whether NPR would ever return to the platform, Lansing was skeptical.
“I would need some time to understand whether Twitter can be trusted again,” he claimed. “At this point I have lost my faith in the decision-making at Twitter.”
In an article published defending the network, NPR cited Twitter’s former head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, who equated members of the Trump administration with Nazis.
Protestations aside, according to Influence Watch, NPR receives nearly 11% of its funding from American taxpayers who did not consent to fund the outlet.
US Political Daily will keep you updated on any developments to this ongoing story.
