The Guardian has announced that it will no longer be posting on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter).
The paper announced today that it thinks the ‘benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere’.
It comes after Musk took over the platform, which has since seen a proliferation in extremist and racist content, as well as the spread of fake news. Musk has been an avid supporter of Donald Trump and was rewarded for his support yesterday, after Trump announced the appointment of the tech billionaire to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) for his incoming administration.
The Guardian wrote on its website: “The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”
It went on to add that X users will still be able to share its articles and that its reporters will be able to carry on using the site for news-gathering purposes.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 117 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.