Guardian Paper Announces It Will No Longer Post On X

The Guardian has declared that it would no longer use its official accounts to share content on Elon Musk’s social media network, X.

Citing the “often disturbing content” on the network, the news organization informed readers on Wednesday, November 13, that it believed the drawbacks of being on what was once known as Twitter now outweighed the advantages.

“We wanted to let readers know that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X,” the Guardian said.

On X, The Guardian has over 80 accounts and over 27 million followers.

The Guardian said that racism and far-right conspiracy theories were among the platform’s material. It further stated that the website’s choice was solidified by its coverage of the US presidential race.

“This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism,” it said.

“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.”

Since purchasing the site for $44 billion in 2022, Musk, the richest person in the world, has come under fire from anti-hate speech advocacy organizations and the European Union over the platform’s content guidelines.

The CEO of Tesla, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” has restored banned accounts, including those of British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, influencer Andrew Tate, and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

The Guardian stated that posts on X will occasionally be included into its work as part of its live news reporting, and that users of X would still be able to share its pieces throughout the site. According to the Guardian, reporters will also be permitted to keep using the site to report stories.

Although the Guardian’s official accounts will be removed from X, there will be no limits on individual reporters utilizing the site beyond the organization’s existing social media standards.

“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. Our journalism is available and open to all on our website and we would prefer people to come to theguardian.com and support our work there,” the Guardian said.

Musk said on X in response to the revelation that the Guardian was a “laboriously vile propaganda machine” and “irrelevant.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli