NPR  Gets ‘State-Affiliated Media’ Tag In Twitter’s Latest Swipe At News Outlets

(Bloomberg) -- Twitter Inc. has labeled the nonprofit media organization NPR as “US state-affiliated media” in the latest escalation of tensions between its billionaire owner Elon Musk and news outlets.

The label now appears on the public broadcaster's Twitter profile and its tweets and the designation means that NPR's posts won't be recommended or amplified on the platform. 

Twitter has defined state-affiliated media as news outlets where the government “exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution.” The designation was reserved for outlets like Russia's state-backed international broadcaster RT.

Previous versions of Twitter's policy website made exceptions for the BBC and NPR, which the company called “state-financed media organizations with editorial independence.” But a new version of the the website only makes an exception for the BBC. 

In a statement, NPR President John Lansing said “we were disturbed” by the designation “and it is unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way. NPR and our member stations are supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide,” he said.

An NPR spokeswoman said the organization has reached out to Twitter to have the label removed.

NPR's two largest sources of revenue are corporate sponsorships and fees paid by NPR member organizations, according to the company. On average, less than 1% of NPR's annual operating budget comes in the form of grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and federal agencies and departments.

Musk has used his role as Twitter's owner to agitate news organizations he doesn't like. He has banned journalists from the platform. And in recent days, the main account for the New York Times lost its Twitter verified badge after attracting the ire of Musk over its refusal to pay for the privilege.

Twitter has disbanded its press team and doesn't respond to media requests for comment. But Musk weighed in, responding to a post of Twitter's rules, saying “seems accurate.”

(Updates with statement from NPR executive in fifth paragraph)

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