Twitter is no longer labeling NPR as "US state-affiliated media," a tag previously reserved for state-controlled news agencies known for peddling propaganda. Instead, Twitter swapped out the designation for a new “Government funded media” label, which it also slapped on the BBC.
The social media platform quietly made the change over the weekend after NPR and other journalists said the “state-affiliated media” labeling was inaccurate and risked undermining the reach of the US radio network.
But it doesn’t look like Twitter is backing down from the controversy. The company says it’s still necessary to label NPR and the BBC with the new, but vague “Government-funded media” label.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk has claimed the labeling is needed to show NPR and BBC may hold some alleged bias in their news coverage due to receiving funding from government sources.
“We need to add more granularity to editorial influence, as it varies greatly,” Musk said in a tweet on Sunday. “I don’t actually think the BBC is as biased as some other government-funded media, but it is silly of the BBC to claim zero influence. Minor government influence in their case would be accurate.”
Musk also sent an email to the BBC explaining the labeling. “We are aiming for maximum transparency and accuracy. Linking to ownership and source of funds probably makes sense. I do think media organizations should be self-aware and not falsely claim the complete absence of bias,” he wrote. "All organizations have bias, some obviously much more than others. I should note that I follow BBC News on Twitter, because I think it is among the least biased."
However, the BBC objects to the designation. “The BBC is, and always has been, independent,” the British broadcaster said, noting it receives 71% of its funding from UK citizens, who pay a licensing fee. The news agency also receives £90 million per year from the UK government to support the BBC World Service, which primarily serves audiences outside the country.
So far, NPR hasn’t commented on the new labeling. But the radio network stopped tweeting on its official NPR Twitter account after receiving the original US state-affiliated media label.
NPR operates as an independent news operation that receives less than 1% of its funding from federal grants. That said, it also receives revenue from local partner radio stations, which can rely on federal funding too.
Last week, NPR reporter Bob Allyn emailed Musk about why Twitter decided to slap the state-affiliated media label on the radio network. Based on the email exchange, Allyn noted: “Well, he didn't seem to understand the difference between public media and state-controlled media. He asked me at one point, quote, ‘what's the breakdown of NPR's annual funding?’ And he asked, ‘who appoints leadership at NPR?’ These are questions you can get by Googling, but for some reason he wanted to ask me.”
It’s also no secret that Musk distrusts traditional media. “There’s like something in journalism that they’ve been trained to basically never write a positive story about anything,” Musk said during a Morgan Stanley conference last month.
“On Twitter, you can get a much more balanced positive, negative situation,” he later added. “It doesn’t have that bias quite as much.” Others would disagree, citing the misinformation and hate speech that can circulate on the platform.