National Public Radio (NPR) reported that Elon Musk, Twitter chief, threatened to reassign their Twitter account to another organization. NPR ceased posting on its 52 official Twitter accounts last month due to a Twitter designation that implied government involvement in its editorial content. In an email to an NPR reporter, Musk inquired about their engagement with Twitter. He asked, “So is NPR going to start posting on Twitter again, or should we reassign @NPR to another company?” NPR quoted Musk as saying.
Twitter Handles Recycled Every 30 Days
Musk’s email to NPR was in line with Twitter’s policy, which states that users must log in to their accounts at least once every 30 days to avoid permanent removal due to prolonged inactivity. In another email, Musk said, “Our policy is to recycle handles that are definitively dormant. Same policy applies to all accounts. No special treatment for NPR.” Twitter later dropped the labels that caused NPR to stop posting, but the broadcaster has not resumed activity on Twitter. PBS and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation followed NPR’s lead and stopped posting on Twitter following similar labeling. According to reports, their profiles showed no activity on Tuesday.
There was no immediate response from NPR or Twitter regarding the issue. Elon Musk has a history of making headlines with his tweets, and this incident is no exception. Twitter has been instrumental in public communication, especially during these times of crisis. The platform has evolved as a medium for news, entertainment, and social activism. As a result, it has become essential for public broadcasters like NPR to have a strong presence on Twitter. It will be interesting to see how NPR responds to Musk’s threat and if they can resume activity on Twitter.
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