In a bold move, The Guardian, a 200-year-old British daily has announced that it stopped using and posting on X (formerly known as X). The decision was made post citing the platform’s toxicity and the negative impact on its journalism.
The decision to exit the popular micro-blogging platform owned by Elon Musk follows long-standing concerns and was finalised after the 2024 US Presidential Election, which highlighted the platform’s role in promoting divisive content and shaping the political discourse, as believed by the publication.
200-year legacy ends its relationship with X
Founded in 1821 as the Manchester Guardian, the British daily’s decision to leave X has been marked as a significant departure from a platform which has played an important role in shaping modern media.
The newspaper, now based in London and renamed in 1959, had maintained a presence on the platform (X) for years but the decision to discontinue its presence on the popular micro-blogging platform was taken after witnessing that it became more politically charged under Elon Musk’s leadership, reports stated.
What is Musk's role in toxic discourse?
The Guardian's editorial team has directly linked Elon Musk's influence over X being the reason for the growing toxic environment on the platform. The publication further claims that Musk has helped in shaping the political discourse, especially during the US presidential election (which recently took place).
The 200-year-old publication believes that Musk’s course of actions majorly contributed to the re-election campaign of former President Donald Trump.
Musk’s handling of the platform has also been criticized for allowing disturbing content and far-right propaganda to flourish.
The focus shifts to promoting Journalism elsewhere
Despite having more than 20 million followers across its official X accounts, The Guardian has decided to conclude that resources are better spent promoting its journalism on other platforms.
While its reporters will continue to use their individual X handled for news-gathering, the outlet will no longer post stories directly from its page, which existed on the platform for a long time.
The Final Straw: The US Election Campaign
For The Guardian, the turning point came during the 2024 US presidential election campaign, where the platform’s handling of content and political discourse reached a tipping point. The publication, which had previously raised concerns about Musk’s political influence, stated that X’s role in promoting polarising and misleading content could no longer align with its editorial values.
In the end, The Guardian concluded that X, under its current management and algorithm, “plays a diminished role in promoting our work,” signalling the end of a notable chapter in the media outlet’s history.
ALSO READ: Baidu unveils Xiaodu AI glasses with advanced camera and AI features in China
