Elon Musk tweets BBC as ‘govt-funded media’, broadcaster objects

Elon Musk’s Twitter account recently labeled the BBC as ‘government-funded media’ on the broadcaster’s profile page. However, the BBC has objected to this description, as they claim to be an independent and publicly funded media organization.

^{_{(Photo by Reuters)}}

Elon Musk’s Twitter account, which is owned by him, recently designated the British broadcaster BBC as “government-funded media” on its profile page. Twitter categorized the media house as one that is financially supported by the state but maintains editorial independence in its policies. However, the BBC swiftly objected to this label, stating that it operates in the interest of providing public services through license fees.

^{_{The BBC was labeled as ‘government-funded media’ by Twitter.}}

Twitter risked a potential disagreement with the UK-based media house, the BBC, as it defined the concept of “government-funded media” in its policy. According to Twitter’s policy, state-financed media organizations with editorial independence, such as the BBC in the UK or NPR in the US, are not categorized as state-affiliated media.

Twitter made a distinction between the two, stating that state-affiliated media lacks content independence and is subject to government control over editorial decisions. In its policy section, Twitter included NPR, an American media house, as an example of government-funded media.

Twitter and Tesla owner Elon Musk recently took a jab at The New York Times, tweeting, “The real tragedy of The New York Times is that their propaganda isn’t even interesting.” Critics have challenged the billionaire businessman’s views on media houses and his tweets criticizing them. However, netizens were intrigued by Elon Musk’s take on the subject.

BBC OBJECTS TO TWITTER LABEL

The BBC has expressed objection to the new label applied to one of its main Twitter handles by Twitter. The corporation stated that it is currently in discussions with the social media company to resolve the issue promptly. In a statement, the BBC reiterated its longstanding independence, stating that it is funded by the British public through the annual licence fee.

It is worth noting that the license fee, which amounts to $197 annually, is a requirement under British law for watching live television broadcasts or streaming in the UK. This regulation is set by the government, and residents of UK households are obligated to pay the fee in order to access BBC services.

About Post Author

Toshika Chauhan