‘Toxic Media Platform’: The Guardian Explains Decision To Halt Posts On X

The Guardian announced Wednesday that they will no longer post from their editorial accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, because tech mogul Elon Musk allegedly made it a “toxic media platform.”

The outlet claimed in a Wednesday editorial that the platform contains “disturbing content” that includes so-called “conspiracy theories” and “racism.” The editorial team has decided to promote their content elsewhere to avoid Musk’s alleged ability to “shape political discourse.”

“We wanted to let readers know that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter),” the editorial reads. “We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere. This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism.”

“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 editorial continued.

The company’s staff will still be able to use X to promote their own work, and users are still permitted to post The Guardian’s content on the platform, the editorial team wrote. They alleged that X “plays a diminished role” in their goal to reach new audiences and prefers that readers obtain their content from their website.

“Social media can be an important tool for news organisations and help