'Their propaganda isn't even interesting': Elon Musk targets NYT after they lose verified badge

Twitter has removed the gold "verified" marker from the New York Times' main account. Elon Musk targeted the New York Times in several tweets, saying, "The real tragedy of @NYTimes is that their propaganda isn't even interesting" and calling its main feed the "equivalent of diarrhea" and "unreadable."

Team Newsable

First Published Apr 3, 2023, 11:05 AM IST | Last Updated Apr 3, 2023, 11:05 AM IST

As Twitter switched to a paid verification system and CEO Elon Musk criticised the news organisation, the platform's primary account for the New York Times lost its gold "verified" badge. Musk took over the microblogging platform last year and made a priority of opening the "blue checkmark," indicating an authentic account, to paying subscribers. The site announced it would start winding down "legacy" blue checkmarks from April 1.

The New York Times was one of the news media organizations, businesses, and nonprofits that had already lost their blue mark and been identified by Musk's new system as verified company accounts with a gold tick.

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After the launch of the subscription service known as Twitter Blue, these organisations would have to pay a monthly charge of $1,000 in the United States and $50 for each extra connected account in order to keep the gold tick.

According to The New York Times, it will not pay for a validated business account and will only register for a blue tick if it is absolutely necessary for writers' reporting requirements. LeBron James and other prominent figures from the media who also declared they would not pay for Twitter Blue have kept the blue or gold checkmarks on their profiles.

In the early hours of Sunday, Musk targeted the New York Times in several tweets, saying, "The real tragedy of @NYTimes is that their propaganda isn't even interesting" and calling its main feed the "equivalent of diarrhea" and "unreadable."

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The blue mark, which was introduced in 2009 and has since become a defining feature, has helped the platform establish itself as a dependable venue for newsmakers and activists.

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