British newspaper The Guardian will no longer be posting on the social media platform X/Twitter, they announced on Wednesday.
In a short article, The Guardian explained, “We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere”.
Why the Guardian is no longer posting on X https://t.co/j4fRgzSYde
— The Guardian (@guardian) November 13, 2024
They explained that this decision was one in consideration for a long time, given the increase of “disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism.”
This announcement comes hours after US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk would help lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, along with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
The Guardian stated that the US election confirmed their beliefs that “X is a toxic media platform, and its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse”.
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Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump's presidential campaign and made public appearances with him, most recently at a Pennsylvania rally in October. During his campaign, Trump had said he would offer Musk, the world's richest person, a role in his administration if he won.
“Social media can be an important tool for news organizations and help us to reach new audiences, but, at this point, X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work,” The Guardian said.