Marcel MichonDec 16, 2022
Fasih Rana

Should all Journalists show solidarity with the banned accounts on Twitter and stop posting on Twitter?

It is a few today that fell foul of Elon Musk, it could be you tomorrow over something else.

If you see this post, vote and boost it.

Yes
88.4%
No
3.8%
Undecided
7.8%
Poll ended at .
Dec 16, 2022 at 4:02pmWeb
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022

This is another instance of him over-reaching and censoring his critics.

https://mastodon.social/@taylorlorenz/109524891693855220

Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
This is not okay!
Show threadPeZzyDec 16, 2022
@fasih https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1603563865803206656.html
Thread by @lopezlinette on Thread Reader App

@lopezlinette: .@elonmusk has always been vicious to anyone sharing info about his businesses. He once sued a source of mine for revealing shady practices at #Tesla, and security testified that Musk had his lackeys ...…

Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@PeZzy this man is evil!
Show threadMack ReedDec 16, 2022
@fasih Ask yourself: What do I and my readers have to gain by me continuing to post on Twitter? Most of the smarter ones have already jumped ship, so it's really a question of what value you find in an audience dwindling to a majority of Muskovites, Russian trolls, Nazis, and bots.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@mackreed I do agree with you but there are a lot of silent readers/observers. This is a good example of why one would continue using twitter https://mastodon.green/@Fascinatorfun/109523418126020709
@[email protected] (@[email protected])

Content warning: Free Speech. Journalists suspended from the Birdsite 🧵

Mastodon.green
Show threadPeterD 🇩🇪 🇨🇦Dec 16, 2022
@fasih I want my news to be reality and not coerced into political correctness.
#Media #Journalists
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@peterdeppisch "Political Correctness" is just another term for "Respecting Other People".
Show threadPeterD 🇩🇪 🇨🇦Dec 16, 2022
@fasih True. I should have done a double check. I apologize. Using #FakeNews or #Irreality instead of Political Correctness would have been a better.
Show threadzephyrvsDec 16, 2022
@fasih they didn't show much solidarity with Assange, fuck them.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022

@zephyrvs this is not true. There are a lot of journalists that do support him. Recently a few popular papers have demanded the US drop their charges against him.

Though I understand why you say that because backing Assange goes against American interests and a lot of them haven’t backed him.

Show threadUncle Cid (They/Them/We/Us)Dec 16, 2022
@fasih
Show threadꙮ ⚗️ pnathan ⚗️ ꙮDec 16, 2022
@fasih a key reason I still use twitter is to see what journalists are saying.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@pnathan from my anon twitter account, I often ask people if they have joined mastodon.
Show threadDavid ChartierDec 16, 2022
@fasih I vote all journalists, non-journalists, semi-journalists, and all other people should stop posting to Twitter.
Show threadtestingDec 16, 2022
@fasih it should always have been the other way around: journalists showing commitment to their very own profession > but they chose to stick to big social
Show threadMeKobiDec 16, 2022
@fasih Maybe only post news about Mastodon instead? 🙂
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@MeKobi I think there is an existing community for people like twitter.com/jolyonmaugham which greatly benefits their cause. So it has been a great tool for some, hence newsworthy.
Show threadTravisDec 16, 2022
@fasih news sites too!
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@tebrown that would be ideal. Loads of users are on twitter for news only.
Show threadAlexander RutholDec 16, 2022

@fasih
It's easy for us to say here on Mastodon, but...

Yes. Hell yes.

Show threadPeter Koopman 🦣Dec 16, 2022
@fasih
Each and every user should show solidarity. Leave Twitter to the bots and trolls.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@pkoopmanpk I agree with this.
Show threadJ🍩hn FünkDec 16, 2022
@fasih Absolutely. And not just in solidarity with their peers who got banned. It's clearly not a journalism-friendly platform anymore, and journalism-friendly platforms exist elsewhere, so why stay there? There's just no good reason at this point.
Show threadJJ PetersonDec 16, 2022
People whose adult lives extend prior to 2015 wonder why US journalists think Twitter is absolutely essential to their journalism? Twitter has really only been politically influential for about 7 years, and I’ve seen a complete deterioration in the quality of US journalism in those years. Maybe we shouldn’t give dudes like Jack, Zuck, or Elon such power over the 4th Estate in the first place.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@JJPeterson the 4th state and it’s independence is essential to hold power to account.
Show thread1r0n51d3Dec 16, 2022
@fasih at the very least there should be a process that is clear and transparent for suspending.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@jibruce expecting transparency from Musk is futile. He is not in the business of being questioned by people as evidenced by recent events. Though, ideally that would be great.
Show thread1r0n51d3Dec 16, 2022
@fasih completely agree hence I voted yes.
Show thread@neferimhotepDec 16, 2022

@fasih

Voting yes does not work in #Tusky, but boosting.

Show threadLeft In MissouriDec 16, 2022
@fasih There was a time when I believed LW voices should never consent to cede any ground. But when that ground becomes so toxic that it destroys the message, it is best to be abandoned. It's going to be difficult for a lot of people whose livelihood depends on sites like Twitter, but Elon is too unstable to see he's the one strangling his own golden goose
Show threadPari Moon-ForestDec 16, 2022
@fasih And honestly it should be all people who do not side with fascists, racists, haters, trolls and other garbage.
I've got a few people that I really like that are digging in and it changes my opinion of them.
Show threadjoe•iuculano Dec 16, 2022

@fasih
Shades of Martin Niemöller:

Add an extra stanza

"Then they came for the Journalists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Journalist."

Show threadTHAT effin' Canadian guy....Dec 16, 2022
@fasih I say stay, but promote more investigative journalism about Musk and his companies. Force him into full meltdown mode....
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@VDA he craves attention and then makes a spectacle which brings him more attention. The best thing to do to narcissists is to take attention away from them. In this case, take your time and content away from his platform. I promise he will be in a meltdown mode blaming “woke lefties”. That’ll be a sight to behold.
Show threadTucker TeagueDec 16, 2022
@fasih A huge reason for Twitter's success has been as a news source. Many use it for their daily ingestion of what's going on in the world. If that ceases that's a lot of eyeballs not seeing advertisements, etc.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@tuckerteague exactly why I think journalists and news organisations should go silent on twitter. Nothing will piss Tweelon more than eyeballs away from his prized possession.
Show threadEddeDec 16, 2022
@fasih you're creating free content for Musk if you stay. To be nice and polite: he doesn't deserve that.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@edde agree with that wholeheartedly as I wrote something similar in reply to another person on this thread.
Show threadMeow.tar.gz  Dec 16, 2022
@fasih Not only should they stop creating content for Twitter, they should delete their accounts. It's not enough to simply show solidarity by not tweeting. More has to be done.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@ablackcatstail I was thinking of adding that stance as well but stopped short because I’m not sure where journalists are at.
Show threadMigrated to @[email protected] 🏳️‍🌈🎃🇧🇷Luana🇧🇷🎃🏳️‍🌈Dec 16, 2022
@fasih btw “posts” here are called “toots”
Show threadkeschi   ΘDec 16, 2022
@luana the protocol calls them "Notes". @fasih
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@luana I am aware but I wanted to use a platform neutral term.
Show threadVirginia MurrDec 16, 2022

@fasih

They should have stopped at least after Musk started promoting LibsofTikTok as victims when LOTT has repeatedly and purposefully incited hate and violence against Children's Hospitals.

So, better late than never, I suppose.

Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@VirginiaMurr I don’t see any slowdown of news organizations on twitter at the moment. Which is really sad to see. They’re feeding the Elon machine.
Show threadVirginia MurrDec 16, 2022

@fasih

100% with you. It's stunning ... and horrifying.

Show threadJill Hamilton (inactive)Dec 16, 2022
@fasih as much as I’d love to see it, I feel like these results might be a liiiiittle biased.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@omgshutupjill I would love to ask this question on twitter but I honestly think Musk would just ban my account. He has that thin a skin.
Show threadJill Hamilton (inactive)Dec 17, 2022
@fasih I’m 60-70% sure all tweets mentioning Mastodon are—at the very least—getting shadow banned.
Show threadFasih RanaDec 17, 2022
@omgshutupjill haven’t had a single interaction when mentioning mastodon. Wasn’t like this before.
Show threadEric NusbaumDec 16, 2022
@fasih The fact that more news organizations aren’t steady standing up their own Mastodon instances blows my mind. But I’m sure they’re not on the leading edge of tech. 🤷🏼‍♂️
Show threadFasih RanaDec 16, 2022
@enusbaum I agree and it blows my mind too but then I remember that it’s a simple Capitalism equation here. No real way to boost advertising and no real way to control the narrative.
Show threadThe Overnight 💎Dec 16, 2022

@fasih in think the more spaces the far right has to groom and cultivate radically authoritarian and dehumanizing ideology, the worse off we are as a nation.

Qhile I don't think such behaviors should be rewarded, I'm also not convinced yielding ground to this kind of behavior is necessarily the right thing either.

Maybe the answer is to remain on Twitter but to build on Mastodon? In the same way many post across platforms on IG & FB, I think we ought to repost to Twitter but not really use it.