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Published Dec 21, 2023

How Donald Trump and Elon Musk killed Twitter, with Marty Baron and Zoe Schiffer

Delve into how Donald Trump and Elon Musk's influence led to the transformation and decline of Twitter, as Marty Baron and Zoe Schiffer assess its impact on politics, media, and public trust during the Trump era and the pandemic.
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  • Power Users

    explores how and reshaped Twitter, transforming it from an idealistic platform into a battleground for influence. Initially, Twitter served as a valuable tool for journalists and a force for good, playing a crucial role in movements like the Arab Spring 1 2. However, both Trump and Musk leveraged the platform's weaknesses, weaponizing it to serve their own agendas, which eventually led to its downfall 3.

    The story of this company is an idealistic Silicon Valley startup that was broken by two of its most prominent power users, Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

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    Their influence marked a significant shift in Twitter's role within the news ecosystem, ultimately altering its trajectory 2.

       

    Leadership Struggles

    During the Trump era, Twitter faced immense challenges in content moderation and leadership decisions. The platform became notorious for its role in political discourse, with using it to bypass traditional media and spread controversial messages 4. This period highlighted Twitter's struggle to balance free speech with the need to moderate harmful content, leading to significant internal conflicts and public scrutiny 5.

    My sense is they were struggling with how to deal with Trump in the same way that we in the press were struggling with how to deal with Trump.

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    The leadership's indecision during these turbulent times exposed the platform's vulnerabilities and contributed to its eventual decline.

       

    Musk's Impact

    's acquisition of Twitter marked a dramatic shift in its structure and policies. His vision to transform Twitter into X.com led to significant changes, including rapid feature launches and a focus on his personal preferences 6. This approach alienated many users and employees, as Musk's definition of free speech centered around his own voice, diminishing the platform's cultural relevance 7.

    You cannot optimize Elon Musk's experience on the platform without detracting from the experience of everyone else.

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    The prioritization of Musk's experience over the broader user base contributed to Twitter's decline, as it lost its status as a digital town square.

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