There was no hot button story or controversial topic NPR took on that provoked the issue with the social media platform. And Twitter didn’t reach out to NPR to seek information, begin a discussion, or lay out a process to review the label used to describe NPR on the platform. It just did it.
When challenged on the decision by NPR, none other than Twitter CEO Elon Musk became the social media platform's spokesperson. Seemingly thinking out loud, Musk responded to questions from NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn by asking his own questions about NPR's funding structure, almost as if he was hearing about the issue and considering it for the first time. Shortly after, Twitter changed its label of NPR to “government-funded media” despite the fact that NPR receives less than 1% of its funding from the federal government through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
NPR responded by announcing that it would no longer post new content on its 52 Twitter feeds. According to NPR, that made it the first major news organization to quit Twitter, which has become an important platform for many journalists and news outlets. Explaining the decision, NPR CEO John Lansing said, "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.”
Twitter’s approach to taking on this serious responsibility seems to be arbitrary, shallow and dependent on the whims of its new mercurial CEO.
In an era when social media plays such an outsized role in amplifying the information citizens receive, platforms like Twitter have assumed greater responsibility helping users discern real independent journalism from propaganda and disinformation. It’s a difficult task fraught with shades of gray that I’m sure keeps thousands of lawyers busy. Central to this effort among most social media outlets is developing and implementing a plan that is rational, based on facts, and transparent to both news organizations and the public.
Lately, Twitter has become the exception. Its approach to taking on this serious responsibility seems to be arbitrary, shallow and dependent on the whims of its new mercurial CEO. When the New York Times recently decided not to pay a new user fee required by Twitter to maintain its verification checkmark confirming its authenticity, Musk reacted by calling its content “propaganda” and “the Twitter equivalent of diarrhea.” That response built on Twitter’s previous potty-mouth statement to journalists everywhere when it began auto-replying to all emails sent to its press office with a poop emoji.
Although Twitter has not changed JPR’s account designation at this time, we are following NPR’s lead and suspending our use of the platform to distribute any new content. We believe Twitter's poorly considered, inaccurate labeling of NPR is aimed at the entire public radio system and that it’s designed to undermine our collective work and credibility. JPR is a proud member of the NPR Network and we stand by its values and journalistic standards.
Each day, JPR joins NPR in striving to create a more informed public. We do that by pursuing truth, accuracy and fairness in everything we do. Your direct support is the engine that drives this work and ensures that we can independently and creatively advance our public service mission. Thank you for the trust you place in us as a source you rely on to learn about our community and our world – we try to earn it every day.
