PBS is the newest information group to depart Twitter over ‘authorities funded media’ label

A spokesperson for the group instructed Bloomberg: “PBS stopped tweeting from our account once we realized of the change and we’ve no plans to renew at the moment. We’re persevering with to observe the ever-changing state of affairs carefully.”

PBS joins NPR in deciding to cease posting on the platform. Final week, Twitter labeled NPR “state-affiliated media,” the identical designation it provides to propaganda shops in Russia and China. The location later adjusted that label for NPR to “government-funded media,” including it to PBS’s account as nicely.

NPR, on Wednesday, mentioned it would now not publish recent content material on any of its 52 official feeds.

“I might by no means have our content material go wherever that will threat our credibility,” mentioned NPR CEO John Lansing.

Elon Musk has maintained that as a result of NPR receives cash from the U.S. authorities, the labels are correct. NPR receives solely a small fraction of its working price range from public funds.

Upon information that NPR had left the platform, Musk made a sequence of posts together with “Defund NPR” and falsely accused the organization of updating its web site to take away the half that mentioned federal funding is “important to public radio,” including the commentary “What hypocrites!”

NPR’s web page nonetheless has that part as of Thursday morning.  

Musk additionally mocked PBS upon studying the outlet had stopped posting on Twitter.

“Publicly funded PBS joins publicly funded NPR in leaving Twitter in a huff after being labeled ‘Publicly Funded.’” he wrote.

Whereas particular person NPR journalists and staffers received’t be prohibited from posting on the location, Lawing did inform staffers in a memo “it will be a disservice to the intense work you all do right here.”

Even when Musk and Twitter reverse course on the labels, NPR says it plans to remain off the platform.

“At this level I’ve misplaced my religion within the decision-making at Twitter,” says Lawing. “I would want a while to grasp whether or not Twitter might be trusted once more.”