Twitter CEO Elon Musk loves tormenting the media. Ever since he took over the social media, he has prompted numerous meltdowns among members of the press, and for those who recognize the brazen dishonesty that has come from the once-vaunted Fourth Estate, it has been quite fun to watch.
However, even though his hijinks, and the subsequent handwringing that tends to follow, can be entertaining, there is always an underlying truth being revealed about the press that many are coming to realize. Trust in the media is already in the toilet – but with Musk at the helm of Twitter, it might be headed further into the sewer, or septic tank, or whatever waste disposal system strikes your fancy.
In the latest example, Musk floated the idea of labeling certain media figures like alleged journalist Glenn Kessler noting that they are “frequently posting incorrect information.”
The comments were in response to Kessler deceptively accusing Donald Trump Jr. and his brother, Eric, of seemingly threatening New York County Supreme Court Acting Justice Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the state’s case against former President Donald Trump. Their offense? They tweeted an article about the judge’s daughter, who worked for President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
Eric Trump tweeted: “They are all hand picked. It is all pre-arranged. This corruption is on a different level.”
Kessler tweeted screenshots of the tweets but cropped it so that it only showed the lead image of the judge’s daughter. “Both Trump sons have now posted photos of the judge’s adult daughter,” he tweeted. “Totally irrelevant – and obviously intended to intimidate.”
The problem is that neither of Trump’s sons tweeted the picture – they tweeted a link to the article discussing the judge’s daughter’s activities. The picture was part of the article, which would generate when it is shared on social media.
Fortunately, Twitter’s Community Notes set the record straight, with users pointing out this obvious fact and exposing Kessler’s attempt to spread disinformation. See? The term “disinformation” can (and should) be used against them too!
Kessler has engaged in this type of deceptive conduct before, so perhaps Musk’s suggestion is appropriate – and might be another action that would drive these hacks to further madness.
But Musk wasn’t done there.
The Twitter CEO also elicited wailing and gnashing of teeth from the press when he slapped a brand spanking new label on NPR’s account identifying it as “state-affiliated media.” This mirrors labels placed on media accounts run by the governments of China and Russia.
Twitter labeled NPR state-affiliated (state-run) media 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/8EQ6Z0ZhQf
— Ben Kew 🏌️♂️ (@ben_kew) April 5, 2023
John Lansing, president and CEO of the state-funded propaganda outlet, posted a tweet complaining about the label:
“We were disturbed to see last night that Twitter has labeled NPR as ‘state-affiliated media,’ a description that, per Twitter’s own guidelines, does not apply to NPR. NPR and our Member stations are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide. NPR stands for freedom of speech and holding the powerful accountable. It is unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way. A vigorous, vibrant free press is essential to the health of our democracy.”
In another shot across the bow, Musk removed the New York Times’ blue checkmark because they refused to pay for it under the new verification system. RedState’s Nick Arama explained:
Musk has changed the Twitter verification system. He announced that all legacy blue check marks would go away and that organizations would have to pay $1000 to have the checkmark, and it would be $50/month for each affiliate/employee. Part of the reason for that is his disdain for folks like the New York Times and his thought that the “legacy checkmark” didn’t mean much and that folks like the NY Times weren’t more trustworthy than other outlets.
Also, their feed is the Twitter equivalent of diarrhea. It’s unreadable.
They would have far more real followers if they only posted their top articles.
Same applies to all publications.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 2, 2023
While all of this is hilarious, it illustrates an underlying reality: Every single one of these activist media outlets deserve everything Musk is doing to them. For decades, they have actively mislead the public with narratives designed to promote a decidedly statist agenda.
Members of the press have been complicit in shaping public opinion in a way that is designed to benefit their political allies. Instead of speaking truth to power, they have chosen to help the authoritarians in the government further expand their power. Their aim is not to inform, but to influence, which is why they have proven on many occasions that they deserve the label “fake news.”
