The Guardian dumps the ‘toxic media platform’ that is X, formerly Twitter
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 — British news outlet The Guardian has announced it will stop posting on X (formerly Twitter) through its official editorial accounts.
The decision was made as the platform’s benefits no longer outweigh its drawbacks, it said in an announcement yesterday.
The newspaper said it had already been grappling with the disturbing content, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism gaining prominence on the platform.
“The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse,” The Guardian said.
It said X users could still share The Guardian's articles, and its reporters will use the platform for news-gathering.
The outlet said its focus will shift toward its website to reach audiences, and assured readers that the effects of it leaving X would be offset by other platforms.
It also said its business model reduced reliance on social media algorithms, before going on to urge the public to directly support its journalism through its website.
Since Donald Trump won the 2024 US election last week, rival platform Bluesky has experienced a surge in new users, suggesting an exodus from X.
