Twitter puts ‘state-affiliated media’ label on NPR account

Twitter has labeled National Public Radio as a “US state affiliate media” on its main account, a move the media company’s head said was “unacceptable.”

It’s unclear why Twitter made the move. The label appeared on NPR’s main Twitter account on Tuesday.

Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, cited the definition of state-linked media in the company’s guidelines as “outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressure, and/or production and distribution control.”

“Looks accurate,” Musk tweeted in response to NPR.

NPR asked that the label be removed.

“NPR stands for freedom of speech and strong accountability,” its president and CEO, John Lansing, said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way. A vibrant and vibrant free press is essential to the health of our democracy.”

NPR receives US government funding through grants from federal agencies and departments, along with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The company says it makes up less than one percent of NPR’s annual operating budget.

But until Wednesday, Twitter’s guidelines said that “state-funded 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 removed that sentence on its Twitter website.

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

Check mark withdrawn

The move comes just days after Twitter removed the New York Times verification check mark.

“NPR and our member stations are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the fact-based, independent journalism they provide,” Lansing said. “NPR stands for freedom of speech and strong accountability.”

Literary organization PEN America, which called on Twitter to reverse the move, insisted that NPR “diligently maintains its editorial independence.”

Liz Woolery, head of digital policy for PEN America, said Twitter’s decision was a “dangerous step that could undermine public trust in reliable news sources.”