Twitter Removes ‘Government-Funded Media’ Labels From News Outlets Amid Controversy—Including NPR, CBC, PBS
ForbesDec 24, 2022
The Facts
As of Friday, Twitter dropped its "state-affiliated" and "government-funded" labels for media outlets in the latest sweeping change at the influential platform. Outlets like the PRC's Xinhua and Global Times, and Russia's RT were no longer identified as state-affiliated media.
In addition, Twitter has dropped the "Government-funded Media" label from the accounts of US-based National Public Radio (NPR), British Broadcasting Corp (BBC), and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
The Spin
Narrative A
Removing the "government-funded" and "state-affiliated" media labels from the Twitter platform is a good idea. These labels have always been blatantly biased toward the US and its allies, so shouldn't have existed in the first place. It's not Twitter's place to make sure people trust Western propaganda outlets and distrust propaganda outlets from Russia and China; that's the role of a propagandist, not an impartial platform for free communication.
Narrative B
Twitter's original decision to include "state-affiliated media" was correct. The label should be pinned to outlets like RT and China Daily as well as CIA-created US propaganda outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Voice of America. This designation should also be tagged on other outlets which receive far more state funding than NPR, like the UK's BBC, Australia's ABC, Canada's CBC, and Saudi Press Agency. There's no issue with this label as long as Twitter applies the designation consistently and fairly.
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