Elon Musk continues to settle accounts with major American media. Public radio NPR protested on Wednesday against the mention of “media affiliated with the American state” that it now attaches to the social network Twitter, which had removed its daily certification a few days earlier. New York Times who had announced that he would not pay for his badge.
The official “@NPR” account is now labeled on the “media affiliated with the American state” platform, in the same way as the accounts of RT or Sputnik for Russia. An “unacceptable” mention for the CEO of the NPR (National Public Radio), John Lansing.
“NPR and the member stations (of its network) are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide. NPR stands up for free speech and holds the powerful to account.
According to the French version of Twitter’s “Help Center”, “media affiliated with a state is defined as media whose editorial content is controlled by that state through financial resources, direct political pressure or indirect and/or control over production and distribution”.
“This is definitely not the case with NPR, which steadfastly maintains its editorial independence,” reacted Liz Woolery, the head of digital policy for the free speech organization PEN America. She called on Twitter to back down from the change, a “gift to disinformation purveyors and authoritarian regimes around the world.”
1% federal funds
On his network, Elon Musk assured that this new definition seemed to him “fair”, a few days after having compared the content of the New York Times to “propaganda, not even interesting”. Solicited by email, the press service of Twitter responded to AFP with an emoticon in the shape of poop.
In the French version of its “help center”, Twitter still specifies on Wednesday that “the media financed by a State and endowed with editorial independence, like the BBC in the Kingdom? United or NPR in the States? States, are not defined as state-affiliated media.” That mention of NPR no longer appears in the US version of this guide on Wednesday.
Founded in 1970 and very well known in the United States, the NPR is mainly financed by advertising and sponsorship, as well as by the participation of the radio stations that are members of its network. Asked by AFP, it ensures that less than 1% of its operational budget comes from federal sources.
Affected by the drop in advertising revenue, she announced at the end of February that she would have to cut 10% of her posts, or around a hundred, the latest episode in a series of layoffs in the American media in 2022 and 2023.