The Guardian announced it will no longer be active on X (formerly Twitter) — all its editorial accounts will stop posting on the platform. Users can, of course, still share the outlet's articles on X, and journalists working for The Guardian may link to or embed X posts in their articles or continue using the platform to gather news.
According to the statement, X has become rife with “far-right conspiracy theories and racism” and is simply not worth sinking more resources into. The newspaper would rather spend its time and energy on less "toxic" platforms. Additionally, The Guardian cites Elon Musk as a major reason for moving away, since the results of the recent US presidential election have allegedly shown how Musk "has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse." Essentially, the concern appears to be that continuing to post would be adding fuel to a propaganda machine.
The Guardian isn’t the only news outlet to ditch X: NPR and PBS both left in 2023. Corporations like Apple, IBM, Disney and others still post, but no longer advertise on X. These companies have historically been the social media platform’s biggest source of ad income, as reported by Axios.
The Guardian claims it's able to make this decision because it doesn’t rely on advertising as its main business model. But Twitter was always more about influence than driving traffic, and the returns on investment for publishers have only gotten worse with time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-guardian-is-leaving-x-144549755.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-guardian-is-leaving-x-144549755.html?src=rssLogin to add comment
Other posts in this group
No gaming mouse will magically stop you from getting wrecked in Counter-Strike or Call of Duty, but a good one can give you a greater sense of control while making your playtime m
Now you’ll be able to play one of the greatest zombie survival games of all time on your iPhone or iPad. Capcom’s
Bluesky may still be the underdog in the race for alternatives to X, but the once Twitter-affiliated service is gaining momentum. The app just passed the 15 million user mark after adding more than