Caught Red-Handed: Twitter Tags NPR as State-Affiliated Media

You know that feeling when something you’ve suspected for years finally gets confirmed?

Well, buckle up, because it’s happening again.

NPR, the so-called bastion of unbiased reporting, just got slapped with a label that puts it right alongside Chinese and Russian state-affiliated media.

That’s right, folks. Twitter has decided to label NPR as “state-affiliated media,” the same label given to outlets known for pushing government propaganda.

It’s like Twitter is giving us a not-so-subtle wink, saying, “Hey, we see it too.” This move brings to light what many of us have known all along: NPR’s been in the government’s pocket for years.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

Surely this must be some kind of mistake, right? Well, you’d think so, but it turns out Elon Musk himself has been supporting other outlets like Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua, despite their sketchy reputations. He’s even been caught admitting to finding their “news quite entertaining.”

This is just too good.

BREAKING: Twitter Slaps NPR with "State-Affiliated Media" Label https://t.co/gHoE9iMXi3

— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) April 5, 2023

BREAKING: Twitter just labelled NPR as US state media pic.twitter.com/PSNHKV7kMv

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 5, 2023

When pushing for taxpayer money @NPR labels itself a public sector and public service organization. But when Twitter accurately terms NPR “state-affiliated media” the company protests that it is being unfairly labeled. It’s the truth, but they would like to pretend otherwise!

— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) April 5, 2023

Twitter on Tuesday added a label to NPR's account, designating the broadcaster “U.S. state-affiliated media.” Other news media Twitter accounts with the label include RT of Russia and Xinhua of China. NPR denounced the move as “unacceptable.” https://t.co/TvJTC03WLY

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 5, 2023

So, what does this all mean for us?

Well, with this new label, Twitter is essentially cutting the cord on NPR’s influence, ceasing to amplify their account or push their tweets through the site’s algorithm.

It’s a big win for those who value actual journalism and want to see biased outlets held accountable.

And if you’re still not convinced, get this, according to Gizmodo:

NPR’s Twitter account received a state-affiliated media label on Wednesday for reportedly being an entity with editorial independence although the outlet receives some funding from the government. The state-affiliated media label has historically been applied to foreign media outlets providing official government views.

Twitter’s Help Center says, “Labels on government accounts provide additional context for accounts heavily engaged in geopolitics and diplomacy.” The company uses the BBC news outlet based in the UK as an example of non-state-affiliated media, saying it doesn’t fall under the policy.

By adding the state-affiliated media label, Twitter will cease to amplify those accounts or push their tweets through the site’s algorithm. CEO Elon Musk continues to support outlets like Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua despite those sites typically falling under the umbrella of spouting the government’s views.

ADVERTISEMENT

Twitter assigned the state-affiliated media label to RT and Xinhua years ago, but Musk continues to voice his support for the outlets despite their radical and falsified information. Texts from Musk to his associates about RT surfaced last year when Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk for trying to pull out of the deal to purchase the social media platform.

“EU passed a law banning Russia Today and several other Russian news sources. We have been told to block their IP address,” Musk texted Antonio Gracias, the former Director of Tesla. He continued, “Actually, I find their news quite entertaining. Lot of bullshit, but some good points too,” Forbes reported.

The newest move against NPR follows Musk’s suspension of journalists from The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Voice of America, and others for a ludicrous claim that the journalists were sharing information concerning his whereabouts. He provided no evidence for his claims, but described it as “basically assassination coordinates,” AP News reported.

Isn’t it ironic?

For years, liberals have shadowbanned conservatives.

They have pretended to be “unbiased” in their reporting, while disguising their bias and propaganda as “facts.”

Finally, the tables have been turned and they are being exposed as the propagandists that they are!

Twitter placed that label on NPR's account Tuesday night, implying that the Washington-based nonprofit news organization is somehow connected to, if not controlled by, the federal government. https://t.co/UscuNAE7ZZ

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 5, 2023

BREAKING: Twitter has labeled @NPR “US State-affiliated Media” pic.twitter.com/NYSE0x1AiP

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) April 5, 2023

NPR has an article complaining that Twitter now characterizes it as "US state-affiliated media." To prove that they are not, they cite the fact that WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre today "defended NPR's journalism."

Strange choice.https://t.co/g0RxjlR8op pic.twitter.com/W46ZFliqOX

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 5, 2023

But wait… the story gets even stranger!

It involves a POOP emoji!

You see, NPR’s CEO John Lansing finds it “unacceptable” that Twitter is labeling them this way.

But let’s be real, with NPR receiving funding from the government and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, can we really say it’s that far off the mark?

Now, I know you’re probably wondering why Twitter would do such a thing.

Well, none other than Elon Musk chimed in with Twitter’s definition of state-affiliated media, which includes “control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.”

Musk simply replied to NPR, “Seems accurate.”

Ouch.

The kicker?

When NPR was once compared to the BBC in Twitter’s guidelines, it suddenly vanished from that sentence. I guess they’re no longer the golden child. And when asked for a comment on this whole debacle, Twitter’s press office responded with… wait for it… an automated poop emoji.

As confirmed by The Independent:

Twitter has labeled National Public Radio as “state-affiliated media” on the social media site, a move some worried Wednesday could undermine public confidence in the news organization.

NPR said it was disturbed to see the description added to all of the tweets that it sends out, with John Lansing, its president and CEO, calling it “unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way.”

It was unclear why Twitter made the move. Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, quoted a definition of state-affiliated media in the company’s guidelines as “outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.”

“Seems accurate,” Musk tweeted in a reply to NPR.

NPR does receive U.S. government funding through grants from federal agencies and departments, along with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The company said it accounts for less than 1% of NPR’s annual operating budget. But until Wednesday, the same Twitter guidelines said that “state-financed media organizations with editorial independence, like the BBC in the UK or NPR in the United States, are not defined as state-affiliated media for the purposes of this policy.”

NPR has now been removed from that sentence on Twitter’s website.

Asked for comment, Twitter’s press office responded with an automated poop emoji.

So, next time you’re scrolling through Twitter and come across an NPR tweet, remember that even the platform itself seems to think they’re a bit of a joke.

Do you agree with Twitter’s labeling of NPR as “US state-affiliated media”?

Let us know in the comments section below!