This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

reputable news agency

proofread

Sweden public radio exits Twitter, says audience already has

Sweden public radio exits Twitter, says audience already has
A sign at Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, on Dec. 8, 2022. Sweden’s public radio said Tuesday April 18, 2023 that it would stop being active on Twitter, but it did not blame new labels that Elon Musk’s social media platform has slapped on public broadcasters and led major North American outlets to quit tweeting.Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File

Sweden's public radio said Tuesday that it would stop being active on Twitter, but it did not blame new labels that Elon Musk 's social media platform has slapped on public broadcasters, leading some major North American outlets to quit tweeting.

Sveriges Radio said on its blog that Twitter has lost its relevance to Swedish audiences. National Public Radio and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, meanwhile, have pointed to Twitter's new policy of labeling them as government-funded instititutions, saying it undermines their credibility.

"For a long time, Sveriges Radio has de-prioritized its presence on Twitter and has now made the decision to completely stop being active on the platform, at the same time that we are shutting down a number of accounts," said Christian Gillinger, head of the broadcaster's social media activities.

He cited a recent study showing only some 7% of Swedes are on Twitter daily and said the platform "has simply changed over the years and become less important for us."

"The audience has simply chosen other places to be. And therefore Sveriges Radio now chooses to deactivate or delete the last remaining accounts," Gillinger said.

The broadcaster's news service, SR Ekot, which has been labeled "publicly funded media," will remain on Twitter but has been marked inactive.

Sveriges Radio, which has been active on Twitter since 2009, also noted the "recent turbulence" around Twitter's operations and said it was worrying that the social has reduced its workforce "dramatically."

"We believe that it may in the long run affect the company's capacity to handle, for example, fake accounts, bots and disinformation but also hate messages and threats," Gillinger said.

The for public broadcasters have unleashed a new battle between reporters and Musk, who has long expressed disdain for professional journalists and said he wants to elevate the views and expertise of the "average citizen."

Canada's CBC said Monday that it would pause its activities on Twitter after it was labeled as "government-funded" because it "undermines the accuracy and professionalism" of its journalists' work "to allow our independence to be falsely described in this way."

U.S. broadcasters NPR and Public Broadcasting Service made similar decisions earlier this month for related reasons.

© 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Citation: Sweden public radio exits Twitter, says audience already has (2023, April 18) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://techxplore.com/news/2023-04-sweden-radio-exits-twitter-audience.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Canada public broadcaster CBC quits Twitter over 'government-funded' label

17 shares

Feedback to editors