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'Should We All Join Them?' NPR First Major News Outlet to Leave Twitter
"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."
Apr 12, 2023
NPR on Wednesday announced plans to leave Twitter—the social media platform now owned by billionaire Elon Musk—after being branded last week with a "state-affiliated media" label that, after backlash, was replaced with "government-funded media."
"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," the media organization 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," the statement added. "We are turning away from Twitter but not from our audiences and communities. There are plenty of ways to stay connected and keep up with NPR's news, music, and cultural content."
After the platform's initial decision last week, NPR president and CEO John Lansing said that "we were disturbed to see... that Twitter has labeled NPR as 'state-affiliated media,' a description that, per Twitter's own guidelines, does not apply to NPR."
Others also criticized applying that specific label to NPR—including Liz Woolery, PEN America's digital policy leader, who called it "a dangerous move that could further undermine public confidence in reliable news sources."
\u201cIt won\u2019t be the last news org to do this. Interesting months ahead.\u201d— Richard Deitsch (@Richard Deitsch) 1681308253
In an email exchange, an NPR reporter informed Musk that—like other U.S. public media—only about 1% of NPR's budget comes from the government, while about 40% is from corporate sponsors and 31% is from local stations' programming fees.
Musk reportedly wrote to the journalist that "the operating principle at new Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-U.S. accounts as [government], then we should do the same for U.S., but it sounds like that might not be accurate here."
Twitter then updated the label on NPR's main account—which has 8.8 million followers—to government-affiliated, a label that has also been applied to the BBC, which has disputed the platform's decision.
"The BBC operates through a Royal Charter agreed with the U.K. government, which states the corporation 'must be independent,'" the British outlet explained Wednesday. "Its public service output is funded by U.K. households via a TV license fee, as well as income from commercial operations."
In a wide-ranging Tuesday interview with the BBC, Musk said: "We want [the tag] as truthful and accurate as possible. We're adjusting the label to [the BBC being] publicly funded. We'll try to be accurate."
\u201cBefore we get too lost in the latest @NPR/@Twitter scuffle, it's worth noting that having more "publicly-funded media" is a proven positive for democratic nations.\n\nIf anything, the U.S. doesn't have enough. \n\nht @jbenton, @VWPickard & @Teejneff \n\nhttps://t.co/5r9VBAQCOf\u201d— Tim Karr (Hold This Space for Substack Notes) (@Tim Karr (Hold This Space for Substack Notes)) 1681314683
Since Musk finalized his $44 billion purchase of Twitter in October, when he was the world's richest man, "it has been quite a rollercoaster," Musk admitted to the BBC. "It's been really quite a stressful situation."
The billionaire has come under fire for various platform policy and business decisions, from suspending journalists reporting on the movements of his private jet to laying off Twitter staff. While there was an initial exodus of advertisers, Musk said Tuesday that "I think almost all advertisers have come back or said they are going to come back."
However, the battle over how or even whether to label publicly funded media and NPR's decision to become the first major media outlet to ditch Twitter have some users, such as the U.S.-based advocacy group Free Press, asking, "Should we all join them?"
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'Revenge Killing?' Violent Clashes Follow Death of Palestinian Teen
Tensions soar as most recent death interpreted by many as 'revenge killing' for murdered Israeli teenagers
Jul 02, 2014
Israeli security units clashed with Palestinians in East Jerusalem Wednesday morning following the murder of a teenage Palestinian boy who may have been killed out of revenge in response to recently discovered bodies of three Israeli teenagers murdered in the occupied West Bank last month.
Outlets reported IDF soldiers firing rubber bullets and teargas at Palestinians who came out in anger, some of whom threw stones, in the Shu'fat neighborhood after the body of 16-year-old Muhammad Hussein Abu Khdeir was found outside the city just hours after witnesses say they saw him kidnapped near his home.
According to Agence France-Presse:
Shortly after dawn, crowds of angry Palestinians began gathering outside the teenager's home in Shuafat, with clashes erupting around 8:00am (0500 GMT) when stones were hurled at police, who responded with sound bombs and rubber bullets, an AFP correspondent and police said.
Clouds of black smoke rose into the summer sky as hundreds of masked Palestinians faced off with Israeli police in riot gear.
At least 35 people were injured by rubber bullets, among them at least six journalists, the correspondent said.
The normally-bustling main road was littered with stones and the light rail service which passes through the neighbourhood was suspended.
And BBC reports:
On the frontline in East Jerusalem - BBC NewsSubscribe to BBC News www.youtube.com/bbcnews BBC's Christian Fraser is on the Palestinian side of the frontline in East ...
The individual violence against youths is furthering the possibility of wider violence across the region as video footage surfaced on Tuesday of Israeli settlers marching and chanting "Death to the Arabs!"
Following funeral processions for the Israeli teenagers discovered on Monday, the violent confrontations ensued when angry mourners attacked Palestinian passersby, reportsYNet News.
Regarding the murder of the Palestinian Kdeir, an uncle for one of the murdered Israeli teens condemned the rising violence on all sides.
"If the Arab youth was murdered because of nationalistic motives then this is a horrible and horrendous act," Yisahi Frenkel told Ynet. "There is no difference between (Arab) blood and (Jewish) blood. Murder is murder. There is no forgiveness or justification for any murder."
*This post has be updated to provide more consistent use of the terms used to describe those killed in recent violence.
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Russell Brand: 'Revolution Is Coming... I Ain't Got a Flicker of Doubt'
British comedian goes off on failed paradigm, talking egalitarianism, consciousness, and filthiness of profit with the BBC
Oct 24, 2013
The British left weekly New Statesman has taken a chance on an up-and-coming rogue editor, but the actor-comedian and newly welcomed progressive-minded firebrand Russell Brand seems so far to be a brilliant and elegant choice.
Tapped to guest-edit the magazine's 'Revolution' issue this week, Brand is making waves both for his feature-length essay on the topic but also with a televised interview that aired Wednesday night on the BBC with veteran Newsnight anchor Jeremy Paxman. In the ten-minute interview, the 38-year-old Brand points at the futility of voting in a corrupt democratic system determined to serve the interests of the ruling class and not only predicts, but guarantees, that the "disenfranchised, disillusioned underclass" created by the current economic and political system--both in the UK and worldwide--will rise up in popular revolution against the failings of the current corporate-controlled paradigm.
Paxman questioned why a comedian such as Brand, especially one who doesn't vote, should be trusted to offer his views on the political system.
"I don't get my authority from this preexisting paradigm which is quite narrow and only serves a few people," Russell responded, himself questioning why voting or not voting in a corrupt lopsided system should provide moral or intellectual authority. "I look elsewhere for alternatives that might be of service to humanity."
Additionally, he said: "It is not that I am not voting out of apathy. I am not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery and deceit of the political class that has been going on for generations," said Brand.
In response to Paxman asking if he saw any reason for hope, Brand jumped at the question "Yeah, totally. There's going to be a revolution. It's totally going to happen," he said. "I ain't got a flicker of doubt. This is the end--it's time to wake up."
The interview is worth a complete viewing:
Paxman vs Russell Brand - full interview - BBC NewsnightNewsnight's Jeremy Paxman talks to Russell Brand about voting, revolution and beards, as he launches his guest edit for the New ...
Asked to outline the possible revolutionary scheme, Brand explained: "I think a socialistic egalitarian system based on massive redistribution of wealth, heavy taxation of corporations, and massive responsibility for energy companies and any companies exploiting the environment. I think the very concept of profit should be hugely reduced. [British PM] David Cameron says 'profit' isn't a dirty word. I say profit is a filthy word, because wherever there is profit there is also deficit. And this system currently doesn't address these ideas."
Further pressed for specifics on the mechanics of this post-revolutionary world, Brand called out Paxman for the ridiculousness of the demand. "Jeremy, don't ask me to sit here--in a interview with you in a bloody hotel room--and devise a global utopian system."
"I'm merely calling for change," he add. "I'm calling for genuine alternatives."
Later, Brand acknowledged there were many brilliant people in the world offering wonderful and specific solutions to humanity's problems, but that those voices and their ideas are repeatedly excluded from popular debate and ignored by elected officials.
Best known in the United States for his roles in film comedies such as 'Get Him to the Greek' and 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' Brand has increasingly emerged as an astute observer of both politics and culture. An admitted (but recovering) drug addict, in his sobriety Brand has been passionate and insightful in his comments about celebrity culture, substance abuse, and a growing number of other social issues.
As Adam Taylor, at the Business Insider, points out:
Brand's transformation from an outrageous comedian know for puerile jokes, a history of drug abuse, and one-night stands with Hollywood starlets to one of the U.K.'s most popular essayists was certainly an unexpected turnaround.
However, recent writings on events personal (the never-ending fears of relapse for a former addict) and political (the death of Margaret Thatcher) have won a lot of plaudits.
And The Independent's Simon Kelner (no sympathetic left-winger himself) gave the political and philosophical sparring trophy not to the establishment journalist Paxman, but to the revolutionary-minded comedian:
Brand, who sounded like the love child of Stanley Unwin and Will Self, was goaded to genuine anger by Paxman's patronising assertion that he was "a trivial man". Whatever Brand may be, he's not trivial. His call for revolution may be Spartist nonsense, but Brand definitely articulates a strain of thinking among a growing number of young people who feel disenfranchised, disenchanted, disengaged and, most important, disinterested in the idea that politics can change the world.
Most politicians don't lay a glove on Paxman. Brand made him look uncomfortable and faintly ridiculous. And his retort to Paxman's consistent sneering was priceless. "Jeremy, you've spent your whole career berating and haranguing politicians," he said, "and when someone like me says they're all worthless, and what's the point in engaging with them, you have a go at me for not being poor any more". A bit of verbal slapstick it may have been, but there was just the sense, when Jeremy met Russell, that some of the old certainties may be shifting.
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