Elon Musk, the tech tycoon who owns SpaceX, Tesla, and Twitter, once again generated controversy with his conflict with National Public Radio (NPR) as he blasted the media company for receiving funding from the government.
Following a dispute with Twitter CEO Elon Musk over the social media platform's controversial new "state-affiliated media" classification assigned to its accounts, NPR announced on Wednesday that it is staying away from Twitter, according to CNN.
In a statement, NPR said that its "organizational accounts will no longer be active on Twitter." The media outlet underscored that the social media platform's actions are damaging the credibility of the organization by suggesting that it lacks editorial autonomy. As a result, NPR has decided not to share its journalism on platforms that have demonstrated a willingness to undermine its reputation and public trust in its "editorial independence."
Twitter referred to the radio station as a "state-affiliated media" outfit late last week, equating it with foreign propaganda websites like Russia's RT and Sputnik.
NPR, which is publicly supported by listeners, swiftly criticized the action. John Lansing, CEO of the media outlet, referred to the term as "unacceptable." Over the weekend, Twitter changed its label to "government-funded media."
Elon Musk intensified his criticism of NPR in a string of tweets on Wednesday, calling for the broadcasting company to be stripped of its funding just hours after NPR declared it would stop using the social media site, per Forbes.
How Much US Government Funding Does NPR Get Compared To SpaceX, Tesla?
NPR estimated income of $309 million in 2022, of which less than 1% comes from grants from the government, Gizmodo reported.
Critics noted that Musk's businesses, SpaceX and Tesla, also get government support, with Tesla benefitting from subsidies for electric automobiles and SpaceX largely serving as a government contractor.
SpaceX, which was founded thanks to a crucial NASA contract in 2008, is looking for federal financing for rural internet connectivity. SpaceX has earned $15.3 billion in granted contracts since 2003, according to US government statistics, and has mostly worked as a government contractor. Its primary functions include satellite flight for the US military as well as astronaut and research mission launches for NASA.
Tesla has profited greatly from tax credits and other subsidies totaling close to $3 billion. UPI reported that it received $465 million loan from the US Department of Energy in 2010,
Hostility Towards Mainstream Media
In the past, Republican presidential contenders Mitt Romney and others have criticized Musk for his history of receiving government subsidies at Tesla. Rivals of Musk's SpaceX have also referred to the firm's NASA collaborations as "soft corruption." Elon Musk has countered that competitors also get government funds despite this.
In recent months, Twitter has exhibited an unfriendly stance toward the national press since Elon Musk took control of the company in October. The most recent example of Musk's combative attitude toward the mainstream media, which often criticizes him and his enterprises, is his recent conflict with NPR.
Notably, Twitter removed the New York Times' blue verified checkmark, and Musk suspended the accounts of several well-known journalists who covered the movements of his private plane or posted tweets about them.
Furthermore, the Twitter communications team replies with a poop emoji when journalists ask the tech firm for official responses for news articles, according to a story published by OPB.
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