The Guardian has announced that it will cease all activity on X (formerly known as Twitter), with all its editorial accounts stopping their posts on the platform. However, users can still share The Guardian’s articles on X, and its journalists may link to or embed X posts in their articles or continue using the platform for news gathering.
In its statement, The Guardian cited the prevalence of “far-right conspiracy theories and racism” on X as a key reason for its departure, stating that it is no longer worth investing resources into the platform. The newspaper prefers to focus its efforts on less “toxic” platforms.
Additionally, The Guardian pointed to Elon Musk‘s influence as a significant factor in its decision, alleging that the recent US presidential election results have demonstrated Musk’s ability to shape political discourse. The concern is that continuing to post on X would contribute to a propaganda machine.
The Guardian is not alone in leaving X; NPR and PBS both exited the platform in 2023. While corporations like Apple, IBM, and Disney still post on X, they have stopped advertising there, which has historically been a major source of ad revenue for the platform, according to Axios.
The Guardian noted that it can make this decision because it does not rely on advertising as its primary business model. However, Twitter has always been more about influence than driving traffic, and the return on investment for publishers has declined over time.
