NPR has announced it will quit using its 52 “official” Twitter accounts after Elon Musk’s social media platform accurately labeled it a “state-affiliated” media. That was changed to “government-funded” shortly later.
It does, after all, accept tax money from U.S. taxpayers for its operations.
The organization complained the label “state-affiliated” is the same term Twitter uses for “propaganda outlets in Russia, China and other autocratic nations.”
Even when Musk changed the label to an accurate “government-funded media,” NPR still raged.
NPR says it is a “private, nonprofit company with editorial independence,” and it claims to get less than 1% of its $300 million budget from the tax-supported Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
CEO John Lansing said in the statement it is protecting its credibility.
NPR continued, “Even if Twitter were to drop the designation altogether, Lansing says the network will not immediately return to the platform.”
NPR then emailed Musk asking for his “reaction” to the news.
He said, “Defund @NPR.”
But individual staff members can make their own decision about posting on the platform.
NPR did admit that it gets “significant” programming fees from member stations who get some 13% of their funds from taxpayers.
On social media, however, there appeared to be little sympathy for NPR, where reporting frequently leans to the leftist and progressive ideologies.
Among the comments:
“American doesn’t have any use for their constant propaganda.”
“Well, if the shoe fits…”
“Now if only they would completely disappear!”
“But, but it is state affiliated media. How many times have we heard that they can’t exist without our tax money.”
“I don’t think you will be missed much.”
“Don’t want to be labeled state affiliated, stop taking taxpayer dollars. Otherwise – the term fits.”
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