The Media's Twitter Problem
Discover more from Erick Erickson's Show Notes
Elon Musk is an American success story. Originally from Africa, Musk moved to America and is now the richest man in the world. When asked why he wants to purchase Twitter, Musk reiterated that free speech was a central tenant he wanted to restore to the platform.
The media coverage of his statements has led every news hour and push alert. What’s striking to me about this is the vast majority of Americans are not on Twitter and an even smaller subset of that are active on the platform. However, Twitter is so central to how reporters and newsrooms operate that they forget this story is not remotely relevant to a significant portion of Americans. The Twitter purchase is yet another sign of a news industry that is out of touch with middle America. Take a moment and listen:
The Media's Twitter Problem
I think the reason this story IS important to every American is precisely for the reason you state, Erick. Twitter shapes the news in America whether the majority of Americans are on it or not. If free speech doesn't reign supreme on a forum where the Fourth Estate forms its reporting then they have allowed their sacred duty to be compromised. If that duty has been compromised then they will need outside assistance to regain the American trust. Perhaps the purchase of a fallen public entity by someone who emigrated to America is the best solution to return that trust. Only time will tell.
So Twitter is a story about the leftist media, and they love to talk about themselves.
nar·cis·sism
/ˈnärsəˌsizəm/
noun
excessive interest in or admiration of oneself