NPR labeled 'state-affiliated media' on Twitter, same as Russia's RT and China's Xinhua
'Seems accurate,' Musk said of National Public Radio's new label
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Twitter has made it official, National Public Radio (NPR) is now classified as a "US state-affiliated media" outlet on the platform.
It’s a label that has traditionally applied to state-run media outlets in foreign autocracies, like Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk shared the company’s guidance on state-affiliated media Wednesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"State-affiliated media is defined as outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution," the Twitter policy read.
NPR REPORT ACKNOWLEDGES LIBERAL RADIO GIANT ‘STRUGGLES TO RETAIN HIGH-PROFILE JOURNALISTS OF COLOR’
Musk said that NPR's new label as a "state-affiliated" media source "seems accurate" in a tweet Wednesday. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
"Seems accurate," Musk wrote, referring to NPR's new title.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some of the publicly-funded media outlet's staff were not as pleased with the label.
NPR Climate & Energy Correspondent Jeff Brady responded directly to the news on Twitter.
"Uh, no..," Brady wrote, sharing a screenshot of the new designation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former NPR producer Ashley Westerman said that the label was "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."
The label — which made waves on Twitter this week — will now be seen by NPR’s over 8.8 million followers on the platform.
The outlet has previously faced criticism for liberal bias despite receiving funding from the U.S. government.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In March, NPR was criticized for claiming that there was "limited scientific evidence" of males possessing physical advantages over women in sports.
"Correction: An earlier tweet incorrectly stated there is limited scientific evidence of physical advantage. Existing research shows that higher levels of testosterone do impact athletic performance. But there’s limited research involving elite trans athletes in competition."
NPR HIT WITH MASSIVE LAYOFFS, CANCELS 4 PODCASTS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The company is one of many media institutions that have implemented mass layoffs in recent months.
NPR confirmed that it had cut 10% of its workforce on Thursday, impacting roughly 100 employees, adding that it tends to roll back the workforce from 1,200 to an estimated 1,050 employees, the "largest reduction in staff since the 2008 recession."
"We literally are fighting to secure the future of NPR at this very moment by restructuring our cost structure. It's that important. It's existential," NPR chief executive John Lansing told NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik.
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Twitter’s press email sent a poop emoji when asked for comment from Fox News Digital, an automatic response that Musk announced in March.
Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.