Musk’s Revenge: Twitter Slaps NPR With ‘State-Affiliated Media’ Label

National Public Radio’s (NPR) Twitter account has been slapped with a “state-affiliated media” label, something the social media platform’s chief Elon Musk argues is accurate.

Twitter’s guidelines on state-affiliated media define such outlets as those “where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.”

The label has typically been reserved for media outlets in foreign autocracies. Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua are prime examples of state-run media that have similar labels on the platform.

Now, NPR rightfully carries the label – though Musk still has work to do, to add the label to state-run MSNBC and CNN.

Musk shared a screenshot of the platform’s policies in labeling “state-affiliated media” and added, “Seems accurate,” in response to the NPR news.

Seems accurate pic.twitter.com/nx5TmJY7GX

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 5, 2023

RELATED: Tucker Carlson Predicted Political Violence from ‘Trans People’ Just Days Before Nashville School Shooting

NPR Not Pleased With Being Labeled ‘State-Affiliated Media’

Some employees or former staffers of NPR didn’t take the news that they’d been labeled “state-affiliated media” very well.

Jeff Brady, a climate and energy correspondent for the outlet, posted an image of the label and wrote, “Um, no …”

Uh, no… pic.twitter.com/ki7vo9TIBi

— Jeff Brady (@jeffbradynews) April 5, 2023

Former NPR producer Ashley Westerman described the designation as “wholly inaccurate and untruthful.”

Which, incidentally, is something some readers would say perfectly describes reporting on NPR.

“NPR’s newsroom is an absolutely free and independent newsroom; always has been. This label is a LIE and an insult,” Westerman continued.

Labeling @NPR state-affiliated media is wholly inaccurate and untruthful. NPR gets LESS THAN 2% of its funding from grants through the federal government. NPR’s newsroom is an absolutely free and independent newsroom; always has been. This label is a LIE and an insult. pic.twitter.com/2iS04hMeQ1

— Ashley Westerman (Valdez) (@_aswesterman) April 5, 2023

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Covered Up the Hunter Biden Story

While the crux of Westerman’s argument revolves around funding from the federal government, it’s important to note that Twitter’s policy on “state-affiliated media” pertains to “direct or indirect political pressures.”

NPR has long been accused by conservatives of having a far-left tilt to their coverage.

You may recall the outlet refused to run the Hunter Biden laptop story despite all signs pointing to its legitimacy early on.

“We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions,” NPR Managing Editor for News Terence Samuel said when the laptop first surfaced.

Why haven’t you seen any stories from NPR about the NY Post’s Hunter Biden story? Read more in this week’s newsletter➡️ https://t.co/CJesPgmGvo pic.twitter.com/jAi7PnpbZf

— NPR Public Editor (@NPRpubliceditor) October 22, 2020

They literally helped usher in a new administration and now want readers to believe they don’t have their fingers on the scales.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently accused NPR of trying to spur the trans community to “political violence” by encouraging the LGBT community to arm themselves.

And he made those comments just days before a 28-year-old transgender artist slaughtered six people – including three children – in a shooting at a Nashville elementary school.

Tucker torches NPRpic.twitter.com/YW2vqOFRGU

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 28, 2023

Twitter chief Elon Musk, aside from labeling NPR “state-affiliated media,” raised the ire of legacy media this past week when the New York Times had its blue verification badge removed.

“The real tragedy of @NYTimes is that their propaganda isn’t even interesting,” Musk said, describing the publication as “unreadable” and their Twitter feed as “diarrhea.”

Also, their feed is the Twitter equivalent of diarrhea. It’s unreadable.

They would have far more real followers if they only posted their top articles.

Same applies to all publications.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 2, 2023

NPR announced late last month that it had laid off 10 percent of its staff and put a halt to production on four seasonal podcasts.