The media claims that Elon Musk buying Twitter is the most disastrous thing that's ever happened to the public discourse. The maniacal entrepreneur has completely taken over the public space! He's firing workers! He's in control!
Journalists have for a long time employed Twitter with its blue check feature to show their superiority. Journalism was once an occupation that elevated the elite up to the same level as the average man, by keeping them under control. Nowadays, journalism itself is elitism and they claim their authority and competence over their readers.
They also view themselves as guardians of information. Musk's purchase of Twitter has revealed their fear that they will not be above their target audience and won't be able limit the amount of information flowing.
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The media industry is awed by talking about how their platform is becoming a victim. They've long employed (and misused) this social media site for personal gain, getting clicks and anger from their fans. However, they are also in a bubble. They're trapped in it and their followings are too large for them to simply down and walk away in protest.
Take note of their admissions when they complain about what's going on. They acknowledge the fact that Twitter is a place for discussion and that they don't have the power to alter the content. If freedom of speech, as Musk has advocated for, is truly in the balance, it is logical to seek out more voices instead of less. However, the media is looking to increase the number of their voices, not anyone else's.
It's an important point to note. Their outrage is an indication of the stakes when it comes to a platform like Twitter. If a social media firm is able to make censorship and gatekeeping their mission, it's blocking freedom of speech. When the company that is censoring its users ends up in a partnership with government agencies, then it's not about private businesses' right to modify their content however they want. They've given control to the federal government, that is a huge change, and is an issue of freedom of expression and the time is now for there to be a shift.
They are extremely concerned over the absence of moderating due to their influence over narratives wane when there are other voices to be heard. It's not just about those who are vile and toxic and racist and sexist. It's not just about false information. The issue is their ability to discern the right speech and which speech is not. That's why they're freaking out.
Speech shouldn't be monitored. Sure, there are terrible actors in the world; however, when it comes down to what's allowed and what's not most of the time, the baby is thrown out in the bathwater. Voices that are good get lost because they're banned due to being wrong in their opinions. This shouldn't be the case and our hope is that Musk acknowledges this and will allow for more dialogue and not less.
The teary-eyed cry of journalists is simply absurd. They are crying and shouting for the world to see their faces and realize how miserable they feel. This is just as bad as the insane individuals on Twitter who post conspiracy theories.
