In response to Twitter labeling its primary handle as “government-funded media,” the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has decided to stop tweeting from its account and does not plan to use the platform in the future, according to a Bloomberg report.
The label remains on the @PBS account, which currently has 2.2 million followers.
PBS’s account description addresses the label, stating, “PBS’s editorial independence is central to our work and will never change. We produce trustworthy content that features unbiased reporting.”
PBS affirmed its decision to Fox News, with spokesman Jason Phelps stating, “PBS stopped tweeting from our account when we learned of the change and we have no plans to resume at this time. We are continuing to monitor the ever-changing situation closely.”
PBS’s decision mirrors that of NPR, which similarly ceased using its multiple accounts after Twitter first labeled them as “US state-affiliated media.”
Elon Musk, Twitter CEO, later altered the label to “government-funded media,” referring to grants received from the publicly-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
However, this change did not satisfy the network, which argued that Twitter’s label sought to undermine its credibility and falsely suggest a lack of editorial independence.
NPR declared, “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of our editorial independence,” adding that the organization is “turning away from Twitter but not from our audience and communities. There are plenty of ways to stay connected and keep up with NPR’s news, music, and cultural content.”
