Friday, 27 December 2024

European Federation of Journalists to stop posting on X after Trump takes office


"The social media site X has become the preferred vector for conspiracy theories, racism, far-right ideas, and misogynistic rhetoric."

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has declared that it would stop publishing content on X, formerly Twitter, once President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January 2025. The organization, which represents more than 295,000 journalists in 44 countries, reasoned its decision on claims that the social media site has grown into a "far-right conspiracy theorist propaganda" network since Elon Musk acquired the platform in 2022.

The EFJ has joined a number of other European media outlets in departing the site, which has grown to become one of the world's largest news platforms, following Trump's election as the 47th president of the United States, whom Musk had actively championed.



The organization said that it could "no longer ethically participate in a social network that its owner has transformed into a machine of disinformation and propaganda," according to The London Economic.

"We cannot continue to participate in the social network feed of a man who proclaims the death of the media and therefore of journalists," said Maha Server, the president of EFJ. "The social media site X has become the preferred vector for conspiracy theories, racism, far-right ideas, and misogynistic rhetoric. X is a platform that no longer serves the public interest at all, but the special ideological and financial interests of its owner and his political allies."

He further contended: "The editorial evolution of X, since its acquisition by Elon Musk, is simply contrary to our humanist values, our commitment to press freedom and medial pluralism, and our fight against all forms of hatred and discrimination. The decision to suspect our @EFJEUROPE account seemed clear to us and we invite all our members and all organizations defending freedom of expression to migrate to other platforms."

Ricardo Gutierrez, EFJ general secretary, added that Musk's appointment to co-lead Trump's Department of Government Efficiency is a "threat to democracy and freedom of expression posed by the cooperation between the president of the most powerful country in the world, Donald J. Trump, and the richest man in the word, Elon Musk."
 

Source link