US public radio station NPR on Wednesday became the first major media outlet to quit Twitter in protest of the network’s new policies, the same day its boss Elon Musk acknowledged “mistakes” made since his arrival, according to AFP.
Elon Musk si TwitterPhoto: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Known and respected in the US, where it has 46 million listeners and readers a week on its stations, podcasts and websites, National Public Radio announced that “its accounts (…) will no longer be active on Twitter”, accusing the network of taking actions that “undermine our credibility.”
Concerned? Twitter’s decision last week to label NPR, which claims editorial independence, as a “US state media outlet,” a label that puts it on par with Russian outlets such as Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik.
At first, Elon Musk, who readily displays his disdain for the media, assumed the change was “right.” Then Twitter took a step back, adopting the “government-funded media” label for NPR and the UK’s BBC, which complained regarding it.
Controversial certification
Still, justice has not been done, according to NPR, which claims that less than 1 percent of its operating budget comes from federal sources, with its funds coming mainly from , sponsorships and financial contributions from member radio stations.
An NPR spokeswoman told AFP that journalists and member stations “will be able to decide for themselves whether they want to stay on the platform.
The American radio station, whose main Twitter account had 8.8 million followers on Wednesday, encouraged listeners to follow it on other social networks as well.
Twitter’s departure, the first by a major media company, comes amid a controversial new certification policy, with the network awarding its famous blue tick to those who pay for it starting April 20.
In early April, she pulled that checkmark from the main New York Times account (55 million subscribers), in another gesture of distrust toward a respected outlet but considered too left-wing by some conservatives.
