Renowned British newspaper the Guardian announced that it will no longer post content on X, formerly Twitter, from its official accounts, citing disturbing content promoted on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism.
"We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere," the publisher said in an editorial posted on its website on Wednesday.
The move comes after Republican candidate Donald Trump’s historical victory in the US presidential elections. X owner Elon Musk’s significant financial support and the use of the social media platform had reportedly played a crucial role in Trump’s win. On Tuesday, the president-designate named Musk to a role aimed at creating a more efficient government.
“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,” the Guardian said.
The newspaper has 10.7 million followers on X.
Why the Guardian is no longer posting on X https://t.co/j4fRgzSYde
— The Guardian (@guardian) November 13, 2024
The Guardian, however, clarified in its editorial that the X users would still be able to share its articles on the platform. Reporters would also be able to continue using the platform for news-gathering purposes, it said.
“Social media can be an important tool for news organisations and help us to reach new audiences but, at this point, X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work,” it said.
They are irrelevant
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
Musk, the world’s richest person, has not given any official reaction to the Guardian’s decision, but sharing a news report on X, he said: “They are irrelevant”.
The Guardian became the first major news organisation in Britain to withdraw from X. Last year, the National Public Radio [NPR], a non-profit US media organisation, stopped posting content on X after the social media platform labelled it as “state-affiliated media”.
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has also stopped sharing content on X.
