Elon Musk: X shoots presenter Don Lemon after critical interview

“Mad at me”
X cancels partnership with ex-CNN presenter – after critical interview with Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s online platform X has a media partnership with the ex-CNN presenter Don Lemon dropped after interview with tech billionaire. The conversation was “sometimes tense,” Lemon said after the interview on CNN. He asked Musk, among other things, about the spread of hate speech on X (the former Twitter), the tech billionaire’s meeting with former President Donald Trump and media reports that the tech billionaire was using drugs. “Elon Musk is mad at me,” said Lemon.

After the cooperation with Lemon announced in January, three 30-minute episodes of his show were to be shown exclusively on X every week, initially for 24 hours. She was then able to publish Lemon elsewhere online. Now he will present the “Don Lemon Show” on YouTube and as a podcast – as well as on X. The interview with Musk will be shown as the first episode next Monday.

Big presentation for media partnership with X

The deal with Lemon was presented in January by X boss Linda Yaccarino. It is trying to establish the platform, which is suffering from a decline in advertising revenue, more firmly in the media business. According to Lemon, as part of the partnership, X promised him that the consequences would be prominently displayed on the platform.

X said it decided against a partnership with Lemon “after careful consideration.” Musk wrote on X that Lemon’s approach was “CNN, but on social media.” But that doesn’t work, “as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying.”

Lemon saw a departure from Musk’s promise to enable free expression: that apparently “does not include questions to him from people like me.” Musk often reacts thinly to questions in interviews and repeatedly accuses the media of false reporting about him and the companies he leads, such as the electric car maker Tesla.

tkr
DPA