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LAST UPDATE | 21 Apr 2023
TWITTER HAS DROPPED “state-affiliated” and “government-funded” labels from media accounts, according to a review by AFP of many high-profile pages on the platform.
Many major media outlets from Western nations, Russia, China and other countries that previously had either of those tags no longer displayed them, according to AFP.
They included the accounts of National Public Radio in the United States, China’s official Xinhua news agency, RT from Russia, and Canada’s CBC, as of 6am today.
Twitter, acquired by the mercurial billionaire Elon Musk last year, had long labelled accounts linked to state media or government officials, especially from China and Russia.
It said that policy focused on entities that “are the official voice of the nation state abroad”.
Recently, however, the labels were applied to news organisations that received public funding but were not controlled by any governments.
NPR stopped using Twitter thereafter, and CBC followed suit.
Radio New Zealand also threatened to leave Twitter this week over the “government-funded” label, while Sweden’s public Sveriges Radio said it would stop tweeting.
RTÉ this week had a note on its Twitter page marking it as ‘Publicly-funded media’.
According to Twitter, “publicly-funded media refers to media organisations that receive funding from license fees, individual contributions, public financing, and commercial financing”.
All the tags were gone as of today.
The change appeared soon after Twitter began the mass removal of its blue ticks yesterday, a symbol that previously signified a verified account.
Musk, who has seen his $44 billion investment in the platform shrivel, changed the system to allow anyone who pays $8 a month to get the badge.
However, it appears some celebrities haven’t had to pay to keep their blue tick.
I’m paying for a few personally
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023
The Verge confirmed that an employee at Twitter recently emailed LeBron James, who has previously said be wouldn’t pay for verification, to “extend a complimentary subscription to Twitter Blue for your account, @kingjames, on behalf of Elon Musk”.
Musk confirmed in a tweet that he is “paying for a few” subscriptions “personally”.
The Twitter chief also confirmed he is paying for the accounts of William Shatner and Stephen King, the Independent reported.
You’re welcome namaste 🙏
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023
Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart described Musk’s blue checkmarks as “receipts” rather than verification.
US Senator Brian Schatz raised the issue of the possible effect on public confidence in the event of disasters.
“There really ought to be a way for emergency managers to verify that they are real on this website or imposters will cause suffering and death,” he tweeted.
“I am not complaining about my own check mark, I just think during natural disasters it’s essential to know that FEMA is actually FEMA,” he wrote, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that steps in after hurricanes and deadly storms.
Musk’s tumultuous ownership of Twitter has seen thousands of staff made redundant and advertisers fleeing the platform.
Users have complained that hate speech and misinformation have proliferated, and accounts with extreme views are gaining traction due to less content moderation.
Includes reporting by © AFP 2023
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Someone fancied Margaret Thatcher? ??
It’s beyond S&M.
explained by subsidised parliament bars.
Haughey probably did..
Her life long friend Jimmy Saville or one of the many, many, many perverts and creeps that were in her closest circle seemed to be fascinated by her power and aura rather than her angular blandness.
I too was shocked. Momentarily. Then I remembered this is the same class of people where it seems to have been not uncommon to be involved in paedophile rings, and for the files on the sick perverts to be ‘lost’ or locked away for a generation for ‘national security’.
Great marketing there by The Spectator. Job done.
No-ones appearance was critiqued more than Obamas. Plenty of columnists and articles called him gorgeous, sexy etc. People get judged on their appearance. Get over it.
No I think was it quite a tongue-in-cheek piece, and it could be extended to both sexes.
For instance, in Brian Cowan’s last months in power he looked so rough and had so little regard for his personal deportment that any discussion of him was inevitably going to centre on that, rather than his politics.So yes I do think politicians have a duty to not be personally grotesque.
Not to mention the caricature of him in some art gallery (or something along those lines) that caused some kind of consternation. That was also based on his appearance.
I think Ian Paisley passed some not complimentary comment about Brian Cowan too. If everyone was judged on how they look there would be very few electable politicians. It takes very immature journalists to try to pigeonhole people wholly on their looks.
Just as well they didn’t see spitting image isn’t it?
They also judged Ed Miliband on looks, they do it a lot in the British media so it’s no surprise it’s happening to more future Labour leaders. Corbyn is rocking his look though, they got nothing on him.
yeah, but when the same thing is done with women, it’s disgusting sexism, go figure
Some people see sexism in every shadow, it worsens the image of people who actually care about addressing sexism where it actually exists and makes their struggle for equality harder. No sexism here just piss poor journalism by the UK media.
Woo hoo finally some feminazi wankfodder, ‘rolls up sleeves’ bring on the professional umbrage takers!
Seriously though, anyone who doesn’t think this is an act of baiting as obvious as every word which comes from George hooks decrepit crooked gob, really does take themselves too seriously.
Well he’s not wrong. The truth might hurt in twitter land but you can’t have any old mucker leading a country.
You have to look presentable and statesman like. Obviously on top of having the ability to do the job.
So true were so lucky that Enda has it all..
If that’s the case lad, you might do well to quell your political aspirations.
Why Corky? Have your efforts of stalking me finally bore fruits for your labour?
Angela Merkel is the most powerful woman in the world and she is a minger.
I’m glad you got that in before me. Must root out the oul Maggie pics definitely missed something……feck it nah I won’t bother lmfao
Somebody likes video games … oh no! Another useless engagement detracting one from advancing in the meritocracy.
@EB: Spot on
@Corky – Who doesn’t like videogames?
@EB + Andrew – I never said that a person cannot become leader of country if they are ugly. Just that it becomes the lever point for criticism against them by the public.
Thatcher with her “Ding Dong The WItch Is Dead ” song was as much about her looks as much as her policies in the north of England.
Merkel is referred to often as “Herr Merkel”.
Mary Harney was always attacked over her weight issue.
Brian Cowen over his weight issues and slovenly appearance.
Michael D Higgins over his height and impish appearance.
Rarely do you hear cutting jibes about their policies. Its always about their looks. In order to get people to take you seriously as a leader it helps to be attractive or at least average.
what about iPhone Joan ? Does her omission confer attractiveness? Remember the little titchy sarcosi ? his wife was a former model Carla something!! And isn’t there an ex porn star going for election in Italy ? It might not be Italy but she’s probably got some eye candy appeal wherever it is.
The Ding Dong song for Maggie had nothing to do with her looks and everything to do with her heinous policies all over the UK and especially in Northern Ireland. Remove rock from over your head and breath in some fresh air.
Sure people such as yourself use a person’s appearance rather than their character as the subject of pejorative remarks. Lots of lads remain in the under 13′s mindset far into their prime. Can’t be helped – it’s just the nature of some e its. However, as these ugly, fat, whatever you want to call them folks do end up in authority positions, does that not blow your original contention right out of the water?
Two words for you: Brian. Cowen.
Liz Kendall is OK looking, but the fact that she and Cooper (who voted for the Iraq invasion) are Blairite warmongers is an unattractive trait to put it mildly.
based on appearances eh? I’ll never be leader of Ireland so, ah well back to me pint.
Down voted, I think you look lovely.
Margaret Thatcher rose to the very top because she was competant and comfortable in her own skin. When she encountered sexism and prejudice against her she took it in her stride and had good, light-hearted retorts.
These women who love to be offended make me roll my eyes. If they keep talking about being a women and constantly draw attention to the fact they are different then they will only remind people they are women. It’s like black comedians constantly making jokes about them being black. “Ok I know you’re black!”
I want to see female leaders who don’t fall into this hole. It makes men switch off and ignore/dislike them. Just shake it off, be able to take abit of political incorrectness on the chin and prove it doesn’t matter by demonstrating your competance. People will forget about your appearance and gender. Margaret Thatcher did that and she won the respect and admiration of men everywhere.
You said the word black, racist!
Comedians talk about what they know. Black comedians often use race, female comedians often use sex, gay comedians sexuality etc. If people didn’t laugh and find those topics amusing, they wouldn’t keep using them. Since they do laugh, comedians use them bencher that’s their effing job. Not exactly comparable to running a country or political party.
It isn’t a great analogy, but it does get tedious and annoying when you watch a non-white comedian walk out on the stage and you can predict that they will open with something about being an ethnic minority. Then when you think they’ve moved to a different topic it’s more unoriginal jokes about looking different.
The best people should get the best job, but often its the less bright who get on in life, simply because they look good leaving their more intelligent underdogs to prop them up.
And the answer is No……….
I’m not surprised they’re checking the eye candy if they’re getting in the based on the quota system. might as well look tasty when doing fcuk all else for the paycheck.
You’re just the kinda fella that Enda’s lovely girls are aimed at. :P
I don’t have a voting card and have never, ever, ever voted for any of these inept b**turds! its a great auld craic do to watch voting people scratch their heads and walk in circles when that big democratic D***k gets shoved up their collective ar**S. They never learn.
Why no voting card?
I’ll get a voting card when it actually means something other than a punch in card for economic slavery
And until then you’ll sit on your hole. Good man
Lovely sound bite Cynical…and that’s all it is….a sound bite. If you couldn’t be bothered to even vote then you have no reason to complain about those who are elected as you don’t take part in the process…..you’re just a hurler on the ditch, lot’s to say about the teams but have never togged out.
A waste of a vote.
Just because you and your girlfriend above are suffering from media induced Stockholm syndrome doesn’t mean we all are. And sound bites are no less true because the are concise. now get up off your knees and wipe your mouth . your masters looking for you at the neatest polling booth. enjoy voting for your own oppression numbskulls
And another thing Genius. you wouldn’t be so quick to tog out for a match when you knew the game was rigged in advance and you were going to loose no matter what so your logical fallacy of inconsistent comparison is just what is expected from a moron that votes.
Blah…blah….blah……excuses, excuses, excuses.
If it’s all so fixed, why do they try to destroy opposition using the media.
You’re so beaten…you won’t even stand up.
That would be the controlled opposition you are referring to is it ? and the state controlled media.? You had me going there for a minute. I thought you were smarter lol. I think we’d better leave it there then. ;)
That’s exactly the point!….they need media to control the vote because your vote does count. But if you’re sitting on your arse like you and not even voting against the consensus ie,.for Independents instead of main parties…..nothing will ever change.
What are you doing to make a difference?…. except grumbling in the privacy of your own home.
How are you affecting change?
keep dreaming al. meanwhile I’m pretty much off the grid as I goes except for taxes. that’ll be gone eventually. that’s how affect change al. You do it for yourself. no vote or politicians gonna do it for you. ever. so good luck with all that although I know the outcome. same S**t different a**hole.
So….you’re going to change the world by ignoring it……..duh!
“Be the change you want to see in the world!” Ghandi. but I guess it’s lost on you. Duh!
Ghandi didn’t change anything by hiding in his house like you, he was active politically…….but I guess that’s lost on you….duh!
I believe you have missed the point entirely Iol (facepalm!)
You don’t understand what Ghandi meant.
Peaceful Non Compliance; which is what I’ve been trying to get across to you all along? what do you think his meaning was “lets all go and vote chaps because the good people in charge respect democracy and will only act in our best interests as long as we vote for them.” What a laugh. you appear to be deluded so I am just going to point and laugh at your silly statements from now on. (point) lol.
Maggie Thatcher was good looking? Lol
As bad as Thatcher was, at least she was straight. You always knew where you stood with her, unlike our own Labour liars.
They all have lovely bottoms.
clearly it’s insulting to pigeonhole anyone running for office based on their looks. I think we can all agree on that. however it is still an empirical truth that looks carry a great deal of weight in general human interaction. Neither males nor females are immune to it. it’s not necessary for your looks to be attractive to succeed in politics, it is necessary however to look trustworthy. there are many studies that demonstrate this. one that I can remember investigates beards. Apparently a clean shaven man is judged more trustworthy and competent than one who is not before anything else is taken into account. it’s stupid to suggest that this article was akin to some lads mag judging who is hotter. it was also stupid to only consider female leadership looks – which is clearly sexist. if this had been a comparison of any party leaders leadership appearance it would have been appropriate and thought provoking. Looks do matter they are the first thing one uses to judge others, even if it is purely on how well groomed and together one is
Looks have been a crucial part of political life since at least the 60′s. The Nixon-Kennedy debate was the first to show this. Radio listeners were much more likely to be impressed with Nixon, while the TV audience sided with Kennedy. Nixon had recently been ill and looked fairly shook, while Kennedy looked more at ease, confident and healthy. Basically Kennedy’s appearance swung the debate for him due to television being in the ascendency.
OK, it’s not the be all and end all but it definitely helps if a woman is attractive.
Nothing worse than looking at a bad pair of legs during a political debate.
never got past liz bonnin not to mind getting as far as yvette
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