ELON MUSK CHANGES LABEL FOR NPR TO “GOVERNMENT FUNDED MEDIA” AFTER PUSHBACK
Twitter CEO Elon Musk has changed the label for NPR from “state-affiliated media” to “government-funded media” after receiving pushback from the outlet. Musk had initially classified both NPR and China’s Xinhua News as state-affiliated media, but later decided that NPR was not a state propaganda machine. The new label implies that NPR is funded and controlled by the government, but this is inaccurate as NPR only receives about 1% of its funding from the US government. Musk stated that the new label will also be applied to a “larger number of institutions” including PBS, BBC, and Voice of America.
TWITTER’S NEW LABEL HAS NO EXPLANATION
It is unclear what Twitter’s new label “Government Funded Media” actually means, as Twitter has not explained it yet. Clicking on the hyperlinked label takes you to a page on Twitter’s Help Center, which only provides information on government accounts and state-affiliated media. The lack of explanation has caused confusion for media outlets who have been labeled as such.
MUSK’S COMPANIES ALSO RECEIVE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES
NPR Reporter Bobby Allyn pointed out the apparent hypocrisy of the new label by noting that Musk’s companies, such as Tesla, have received billions in government subsidies over the years but do not have a label indicating they are government-funded businesses. This raises questions about how Twitter is deciding which media outlets to label as government-funded.
BBC PROTESTS NEW LABEL
The BBC has protested its new label and is currently speaking with Twitter to resolve the matter. The BBC spokesperson emphasized that the outlet is and always has been independent, and is funded by the British public through the license fee. The license fee is a flat fee paid by all UK households to watch or record shows on regular TV or online streaming platforms. In 2022, the BBC collected £3.80 billion ($4.7 billion) in licensing fees, which accounts for 71% of its funding.
INACCURATE LABELS LIKELY TO CONTINUE
Musk’s confusion over how to label media outlets that receive funding from the public or the government suggests that there will likely be more inaccurate labels on Twitter in the coming days and weeks. The lack of explanation from Twitter has not helped the situation, leaving media outlets uncertain about what the label actually means.
