More newsrooms bail on Twitter as Musk meddles with account labels

In recent weeks, a large number of newsrooms have decided to stop their presence on Twitter, as Elon Musk takes a keen interest in who gets the verified account labels on the platform.

In late January 2021, Twitter announced that it would be suspending verification, the process of assigning a iconic blue checkmark symbol to accounts of public figures and verified organizations, indefinitely. What followed was a chaotic situation that sparked much confusion and debate.

This is especially true when it comes to Elon Musk. While he was once a proponent of Twitter’s verification process and repeatedly ran afoul of the platform’s policies, he became an outspoken critic of Twitter’s handling of the announcement and its implementation of the new policy.

The tech billionaire’s criticism and interference with Twitter’s moderation process, such as chastising the platform for labeling some of his and his colleagues’ accounts as political, have caused a rift between the platform and newsrooms.

Many newsrooms, from National Public Radio (NPR) to The New York Times, are bailing on Twitter as a result of this tension. These news organizations argue that Musk’s open pressuring of the platform to change its policies and verify accounts undermines the ability of Twitter to protect its users and make sound decisions.

This phenomenon isn’t just limited to newsrooms. Many academics and prominent figures have started to challenge Twitter’s decision-making process, further dividing the platform. Furthermore, many users have simply seen the hand wringing and decided to leave the platform entirely.

At this point, it is unclear whether Twitter will ever reassert its control over its own rules, or if its users will continue to be subjected to the whims of a few powerful individuals. What is certain, however, is that newsrooms and other users who have invested time and energy into the platform have become increasingly wary of Twitter as this long, drawn-out saga continues.