NPR Quits Twitter After Being Labeled “Government Funded”

Liberal media establishment NPR has made it clear that it will no longer use the social network Twitter after Elon Musk labeled NPR’s official account “GOVERNMENT FUNDED MEDIA.”

NPR is the first major news organization to take such a strong stance on this issue.

In a statement, NPR said that they are turning their back on Twitter as the platform is undermining their credibility by making false claims that the outlet lacks editorial independence. The statement continued that they won’t put their journalistic credibility at stake by using platforms that aim to disparage their credibility and the public’s understanding of their editorial freedom. On the bright side, NPR’s followers will still be able to keep up with their news, music, and cultural material since there are still several ways to stay connected with their content.

As reported by The Daily Fetched last week, Elon Musk replaced NPR’s “state-affiliated media” label on their account with “government-funded media,” which is a more accurate depiction of the news agency. The state-affiliated media label was later removed after Twitter received pressure to do so.

Several other media outlets have also received the same label, like the Russian state-owned TASS, China’s state news agency Xinhua, and Russian state-run RT.

After Elon Musk labeled NPR’s account, the outlet changed its Twitter bio. NPR’s Twitter bio then read, “NPR is an independent news organization committed to informing the public about the world around us. You can find us every other place you read the news.”

Last week, The New York Times lost its verification status after its yellow checkmark disappeared on April 1, making it the first large account to suffer such consequences. In addition, Twitter announced that it would begin scaling down its legacy verification program and removing legacy checkmarks. To retain the blue checkmark, Twitter users must subscribe to Twitter Blue. CNN’s Oliver Darcy stated that the New York Times refused to pay a monthly fee for maintaining its Twitter account.

READ: Elon Musk Gives Brutal Response to Joe Biden’s Claim that Billionaires Don’t Pay Their Fair Share