‘Censorship-Industrial Complex’ Exposed By ‘Twitter Files,’ Journalist Testifies

Matt Taibbi, a journalist, and Michael Shellenberger, a reporter, testified to the allegations. “Twitter Files” The House’s Weaponization Committee of Government subcommittee released a report on March 9 claiming that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has harassed Elon Musk about the reporting.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.) Taibbi, Shellenberger “pose a direct threat to people who oppose them.”

To support this claim, she played a tape of Yoel Roth (ex-head of safety and Twitter trust) at a previous House Hearing in which he spoke about harassment he received in relation to the investigation. “Twitter Files.”

Jim Jordan, the Chair of the Subcommittee (R-Ohio), resisted that language from his counterpart.

He described the two as “brave individuals” for coming before the House, particularly after the FTC mentioned them and other journalists in a Dec. 2022 letter to Twitter–not its first-ever communication with Twitter, but the first after Taibbi kicked off the “Twitter Files” Releases less that ten days before.

“There is no reason the FTC needs to know every journalist with whom Twitter was engaging,” the Republican March 7 subcommittee report on the FTC and Twitter states (pdf).

Dueling Narratives

Jordan presented a story of clear coordination between government and nonprofits that receive funding from the government.

In October 2020, the social media platform took down a New York Post story on the laptop–a choice for which Jordan said they’d been “primed.”

“Our government built a cozy relationship with Big Tech,” Jordan stated.

Plaskett discredited the notion that the government had worked together with Twitter. This is referring to the February hearing. Ex-Twitter executives Roth spoke.

“Real evidence showed that there wasn’t coordination between Twitter and the federal government, as they’d like the American people to believe,” She said.

“All the so-called ‘Twitter Files’ really showed was a discussion on content moderation,” She continued.

“We’re engaging in false narratives here,” He described Taibbi’s and Shellenberger’s personalities as “so-called journalists.”

“Ranking Member Plaskett, I’m not a so-called journalist–I’ve won the National Magazine Award, the I.F. Stone Award for Independent Journalism, and I’ve written ten books,” Taibbi answered in his own opening statements.

Shellenberger called the discoveries a “censorship-industrial complex,” This could be compared with the military-industrial complex Dwight Eisenhower warned of in his farewell speech.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R.La.) cited communications between Twitter & the FBI. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) claimed that the social media company was at fault. “was basically an FBI subsidiary before Elon Musk took it over.”

Johnson was informed by Taibbi about the “Twitter Files” were “by far the most serious thing” He has also covered the 2008 financial crisis, surpassing his work in 2008.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D.Mass.), was asked about Russia’s efforts to sway the 2016 election. Questioned about Russia’s attempts to influence the 2016 election through the release of materials about Clinton’s campaign, including emails involving John Podesta, her campaign manager.

“That material was true. That is not a legitimate predicate for censorship,” Taibbi was quick to jump in and say something at one point. Lynch then told Taibbi that he was outta order.

When Rep. Darrell Issa (R.Calif.) asked them about this point, both Shellenbergerer and Taibbi agreed Russia was an actor trying to subvert the United States.

Taibbi stated that a report was (pdf) from the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), “Russia’s Pillars of Disinformation and Propaganda,” The distinction between state propaganda emanating directly from the state and other media forms was blurred.

“Part of this report is what you would call traditional, hard-core intelligence gathering, where they made a reasoned, evidence-based case that certain sites were linked to Russian influence, or linked to the Russian government,” He stated.

“In addition to that, however, they also said that sites that ‘generate their own momentum’ and have opinions that are in line with those accounts are part of a ‘propaganda ecosystem.’ Now, this is just another word for guilt by association,” He went on.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), rejected the narrative and presented hers, telling Taibbi Elon Tesla had. “spoon-fed” certain journalists “cherry-picked information.”

He was repeatedly asked by her if he had made any money from the Twitter files.

“It’s probably a wash,” Taibbi was responsive.

Wasserman Schultz continued to state that “social media companies are not biased against conservatives.”

Bishop Promises More on Stengel’s Ties to Hamilton

Rep. Dan Bishop (R.N.C.) looked into the files. Coverage Hamilton 68.

J.M., a former contractor in the GEC, created Hamilton 68. Hamilton 68 claimed that the system tracked after being created by J.M. “Russian disinformation.”

Its list is still available. “was largely made up of Americans,” Taibbi reports Follow us on Twitter.

Bishop recorded Richard Stengel, the founder of the GEC, and played it at a Council on Foreign Relations panel. Stengel said that people should be able to communicate with each other. “joked” He was “Chief Propagandist” For the United States in this job.

“I’m not against propaganda. Every country does it, and they have to do it to their own population, and I don’t necessarily think it’s that awful,” Stengel said. Stengel noted that he was previously editor of Time Magazine, an historical publication. Connected to the CIA.

Bishop stated that Stengel had close ties to Hamilton 68 as well as the GEC.

“That’ll come out,” He told Taibbi.

“I’d be anxious to hear that,” Taibbi was able to answer.