The Guardian, a prominent British newspaper, has announced its decision to cease posting on X (formerly Twitter), citing concerns about the platform’s toxic nature and its potential to shape political discourse. The newspaper’s withdrawal comes in the wake of the US presidential election and is closely tied to its views on X’s owner, Elon Musk.
The Guardian highlighted several reasons for its departure from the platform. Primarily, the newspaper expressed deep unease about Musk’s apparent support for Donald Trump and the platform’s tendency to promote far-right conspiracy theories and racist content. Despite this decision, the Guardian emphasized that users can still share its articles, and reporters will continue to use X for news-gathering purposes.
The move appears to be part of a broader strategic positioning by the Guardian. The newspaper, which describes itself as “the world’s leading liberal voice,” is positioning itself as a key component of the “resistance” against Trump. This stance has resonated with its readership, as evidenced by an unprecedented fundraising response. The day after the election, readers pledged more than $1.8 million (£1.4m), marking a record single-day donation.
Media analyst Ben Mullin characterized this fundraising effort as a sign of growing enthusiasm for adversarial journalism in the post-election landscape. The Guardian’s departure from X is likely to prompt other media organizations to reconsider their presence on the platform.
The timing of this decision coincides with the growth of X’s competitors. Platforms like Meta’s Threads and Bluesky, founded by Twitter’s original creator Jack Dorsey, are experiencing increased user engagement. Bluesky, in particular, has seen significant growth, adding four million users in two months and reportedly gaining one million new users in the week following Trump’s election victory. However, it remains relatively small, with 15 million worldwide users.
The Guardian’s announcement was met with mixed reactions. When the decision was posted on X itself, some paid users responded with criticism, accusing the newspaper of “woke propaganda” and “virtue signalling.”
Musk and the Guardian have long been at odds politically, making this departure somewhat unsurprising. The newspaper’s decision underscores growing concerns about social media platforms’ role in political discourse and the potential for influential owners to shape public narrative.
While the Guardian will no longer actively post on X, it has not completely cut ties. The newspaper will still potentially embed X posts in its coverage and allow users to share its content on the platform.
This move represents a significant statement from a major media organization about the current state of social media and its potential impact on political communication and public discourse.
