A Historic Exit
The Guardian, the oldest British paper with a history of over 200 years, announced that it would no longer post on X, the app, formerly Twitter, as of Nov. 13, 2024. The three resigning editors declared the main reason for this decision to be "because of worries around the toxic media environment created during the tenure of Elon Musk."
From an April Fools' Joke to a Real Exit
Fifteen years ago, on April 1, 2009, The Guardian memorably April Fooled everyone by declaring it was shutting down print and going all-in on Twitter. That lighthearted prophecy took a jab at the increasing steam of the platform, even precognitively speaking to a future where news in a digital world would define info in short bursts. Only this paper is withdrawing from X today as it attempts to separate itself from troublesome content and political clout.
Why It Picked It's End
The Guardian editorial cited disturbing content that prevails on X, such as far-right conspiracy theories and racist instances, in helping them reach their decision. Coverage of the recent U.S. presidential election sealed their case to ultimately come to the conclusion that "the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives." They claim they are worried that Musk has been using his influence to shape political discourse on the platform in ways they find unacceptable.
While pulling out of official postings, The Guardian assured its users that it will not block the ability to share its articles on X. Reporters, too, can continue their use of the site for news gathering and interacting with sources, but again under the existing social media guidelines.
Reaction by Elon Musk
To reply, Elon Musk took to X by labeling the publication "irrelevant", referred to it as a "laboriously vile propaganda machine". A reaction that speaks to increased tension between X and various media organizations who have voiced similar concerns related to content moderation and misinformation on the platform.
The Bigger Picture
The Guardian is not alone in this decision; other media outlets have also reconsidered being on X because of similar problems. For example, National Public Radio and PBS stopped their operations on the site at one time due to criticism over its labelling of their accounts. Now, more are weighing their social media strategies and debating if others will follow them out of X.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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