Twitter has lost another major media outlet as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has abandoned the platform following the new tag labeling it as “government-funded media.” PBS joins fellow nonprofit media organization NPR in leaving Twitter over the tag. Twitter defines government-funded media as outlets where the government provides some or all of the outlet’s funding and may have varying degrees of government involvement over editorial content. The label was originally created to identify tweets from state-controlled news agencies like China’s People’s Daily and Russia’s RT.com, known for circulating government propaganda. However, new Twitter owner Elon Musk expanded the label to NPR and PBS despite their independent status.
According to a PBS Foundation report, federal funding provides about 15% of its revenue, with the rest coming from private support and public donations. NPR, on the other hand, receives less than 1% of its funding from government grants, though it does receive funds from member stations that can also receive government funding. Despite this, the label has been applied to both organizations, leading them to abandon Twitter.
“PBS stopped tweeting from our account [on April 8] when we learned of the change and we have no plans to resume at this time,” a company spokesperson told Bloomberg. “We are continuing to monitor the ever-changing situation closely.” NPR also issued a statement saying, “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of our editorial independence.”
Twitter accounts for both PBS and NPR remain live but have not been updated since last week, except for NPR’s flurry of Wednesday posts directing its 8.8 million followers to National Public Radio’s mobile app, topical newsletters, and other social media platforms.
The BBC was also labeled as “government-funded media,” but Twitter changed the label to “publicly funded” after Musk conducted a surprise Tuesday interview with the BBC and objections from the British broadcaster.
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The move by Twitter to label NPR and PBS as “government-funded media” could have significant consequences for the platform, given that these organizations are highly respected and widely trusted. If more media outlets decide to abandon Twitter, the platform may face a loss of credibility and relevance.
The decision by Twitter to label these organizations as “government-funded media” is part of a wider debate about the role of social media in the public sphere. Critics argue that social media platforms have too much power to shape public opinion and that they need to be regulated more closely. Others argue that social media is a vital tool for promoting free speech and democratic participation.
Whatever the outcome of this debate, it is clear that social media platforms will continue to play a significant role in shaping public opinion in the years to come. As such, it is essential that these platforms are held accountable for their actions and that they operate in a transparent and responsible manner.
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