Elon Musk on Monday posted a meme of a fictional CNN story involving Don Lemon -- prompting the community to fireplace again at him on Twitter.
POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Twitter overlord Elon Musk appears to have violated his personal guidelines about posting satirical content material with no disclaimer — solely to snicker off the pretend information as a jab at CNN.
Elon Musk trolled the cable information community Monday by posting a Photoshopped picture of anchor Don Lemon with the headline of a pretend information story.
“CNN: Elon Musk might threaten free speech on Twitter by actually permitting folks to talk freely,” Musk tweeted.
The picture included a screenshot of Lemon subsequent to a inventory picture of Musk. The chyron beneath is similar to the headline.
Twitter customers instantly added a disclaimer to Musk’s tweet, reminding guests to the positioning that the CNN story wasn’t actual.
“The screencap on this picture will not be actual and originated from a satirical web site,” the disclaimer learn.
CNN’s public relations division posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet, which included a disclaimer saying that the tweet was in violation of Twitter’s guidelines.
“This headline by no means appeared on CNN. Be higher,” CNN’s PR staff tweeted at Musk.
“CNN aired no such report about Musk ‘threatening free speech’ and the chyron has been digitally altered so as to add the textual content.”
Musk dismissed CNN’s response, tweeting: “Lmaoooo.” These are the initials for “laughing my ass off.”
After taking on Twitter, Musk rolled out a brand new verification subscription plan whereby Twitter customers who pay $8 a month might get a verified blue verify subsequent to their title.
However chaos ensued when pranksters impersonated celebrities, politicians and main companies by assuming their identities on Twitter and posting pretend objects that have been designed to make them look unhealthy.
Musk was pressured to pause the rollout of the subscription plan. He additionally began banning Twitter customers who impersonated him.
Musk then required Twitter customers to label their accounts as parody in the event that they meant on impersonating others.
“Going ahead, any Twitter handles participating in impersonation with out clearly specifying ‘parody’ can be completely suspended,” Musk tweeted earlier this month.
“Beforehand, we issued a warning earlier than suspension, however now that we're rolling out widespread verification, there can be no warning. This can be clearly recognized as a situation for signing as much as Twitter Blue.”
“Any title change in any respect will trigger non permanent lack of verified checkmark.”
In April, the Related Press revealed a fact-check merchandise noting that the meme which Musk posted was initially circulating on-line because of the satirical information outlet Genesius Occasions, which payments itself as “essentially the most dependable supply of faux information on the planet.”
Screenshots simply displaying the picture and headline — with none indication it was satire — shortly unfold on-line.
Whereas some customers identified that the unique report is supposed to be humorous and that the picture is a meme, others on Fb and Twitter appeared to consider the picture got here from a real CNN broadcast.
One such Fb submit sharing simply the headline and picture acquired greater than 1,000 likes and shares, with feedback criticizing CNN for apparently working the report.
“Makes whole sense …to CNN. Doesn’t matter a lot when you verify CNN’s rankings,” one person wrote. Others sharing the picture wrote “CNN needs to be shut down,” and “They don't help the structure.”
A Twitter person sharing the headline and picture merely put the caption, “Wait… WHAT?!?,” receiving greater than 4,000 shares and 10,000 likes.
However the picture and report are satire, not genuine.
Afterward Monday, Musk slammed Apple for allegedly pulling their adverts from Twitter.
“Apple has largely stopped promoting on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?” Musk tweeted.
“What’s occurring right here @timcook?”
The Submit has sought remark from Apple.
Musk final week personally reached out to the CEOs of firms which have pulled their adverts from Twitter in current weeks, in keeping with Monetary Occasions.
Since taking on the social media firm, Musk has overhauled its content material moderation insurance policies and reinstated controversial accounts that have been banned by earlier administration.
Musk adopted by on his pledge to reactivate the account of former President Donald Trump, who was suspended from the positioning within the wake of the riot on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
He has additionally reinstated rapper Kanye West regardless of current anti-Semitic posts in addition to the satirical information website the Babylon Bee, amongst others.
Madison Avenue companies reportedly warned Musk that reinstating controversial accounts would immediate prime model names to take away their adverts from Twitter.
Media Issues, a pro-Democratic watchdog group, compiled a report claiming that half of Twitter’s prime 100 advertisers have halted adverts on the positioning as a consequence of “controversies” and “warnings from media consumers.”
Advert trade figures advised FT that they've had little contact with Twitter staffers as a result of so few of them are left after Musk laid off greater than half of the corporate’s workforce within the final month.
With Submit wires
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