The Guardian Quits Elon Musk’s X, Cites Far-Right Theories and Racist Content
The Guardian, one of the UK’s most popular daily newspapers, has announced that it will no longer post on X, formerly Twitter, citing “disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism.”
“We wanted to let readers know that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter),” the newspaper said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We believe that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives, and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere,” it added.
Reason The Guardian Quit X
According to the newspaper, after X was acquired by Elon Musk in 2022 for $44 billion, it has become a “toxic media platform” used by its owner to influence and “shape political discourse.”
With over 204.5 million followers, Musk was actively involved in Donald Trump’s election campaign, helping the former president raise money and promoting him on X. Ultimately, Trump won the November 5 presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Guardian’s decision came less than 24 hours after Musk was announced to head a newly formed department, DOGE, aimed at cutting government expenses.
“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,” the statement read.
It continued, “The US presidential election campaign only served 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.”
What This Means for The Guardian
With over 10.8 million followers on X, it is expected that the newspaper may lose readers who engage with its content on the platform or read articles via links shared on X.
Neusroom checks show that The Guardian receives considerable engagement on X, with its last post before the announcement of the quit receiving over 118,000 views, 28 retweets, and 82 comments.
However, The Guardian, which relies heavily on donations for revenue, seems unconcerned.
“Social media can be an important tool for news organizations and help us reach new audiences, but at this point, X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work.”
The newspaper stated that it was able to make this decision because its “business model does not rely on viral content tailored to the whims of the social media giants’ algorithms,” adding that it is funded directly by its readers.
