Twitter's Press Team Responds to Journalists with Poop Emoji: Impact of Elon Musk's Acquisition
When attempting to contact Twitter's press department as a journalist, an automated response consisting solely of a feces emoji will now be received. This alteration was recently announced by Twitter CEO Elon Musk via his personal Twitter account on Sunday morning, and I verified its accuracy by requesting comment through email.
Previously, reporters could reliably expect to receive a response to their inquiries via email. However, after Musk's acquisition of the platform in late October, which involved a $44 billion deal, Twitter's press team ceased responding to emails.
Musk has gained notoriety for his adversarial stance towards journalists, whom he perceives to be biased against his companies. In fact, in 2020, he completely eliminated Tesla's press department. Despite some appeals from Tesla investors to reinstate the press team, Musk remains convinced that such a department is redundant. In his tweet from April 2021, he defended this decision by stating that Tesla prioritizes product quality over advertising and influencing public opinion, and expressed his faith in the general public to make informed decisions.
Funny or bad for business?
Elon Musk's recent action of using an automated response featuring a poop emoji to reply to journalists' emails has ignited a discussion among industry professionals as to whether this approach is a sound and advisable course of action. Detractors of this method argue that it is lacking in professionalism, and may be perceived by some as displaying a lack of respect towards the media. This, in turn, could potentially compromise the standing and relationships of the company with members of the press. Furthermore, critics claim that the move could discourage journalists from pursuing coverage of the company, or seeking comments from its representatives in the future.
Adherents of this approach, on the other hand, assert that it is a novel and innovative method of dealing with what they perceive to be negative or biased coverage of the company. By responding with a light-hearted and humorous emoji, Musk is potentially able to disrupt and counterbalance negative coverage. They also argue that this approach could potentially provide greater control over the narrative surrounding the company, thereby reducing the impact of critical articles.
An exploration of journalistic bias
Journalistic bias has been the subject of much discussion concerning Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter and his subsequent actions regarding the platform. Musk has been quite vocal in his criticism of the media, alleging that reporters exhibit a bias against his personal endeavors and companies. In his view, negative coverage of his businesses is often based on false or misleading information and is driven by ulterior motives.
The decision by Musk to dissolve Twitter's press team has sparked differing opinions. Some assert that it was intended to bypass traditional channels of journalism and reduce the impact of unfavorable coverage. On the other hand, some contend that the absence of a dedicated press team may lead to the distribution of incomplete or inaccurate information, ultimately damaging Twitter's relationship with the press.
While the conversation surrounding journalistic bias and the impact of Musk's decisions on Twitter and the media is ongoing, it is unclear how these actions will ultimately affect public opinion of the platform and its CEO. However, the relationship between Musk, Twitter, and the press is intricate and multifaceted, and is anticipated to be a topic of conversation within the media industry for the foreseeable future.
Overall, the effectiveness and advisability of utilizing an automated response featuring a poop emoji as a communication strategy to the press is open to debate and interpretation, and it remains to be seen whether this approach will result in positive or negative outcomes for the company.
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Poop emoji that can’t be shown here at this website, even if an article is written about them. Sorry, I needed to post it, sincerely inmo we should enjoy enough the poop emoji by Elon. At least he can paste it freely. :S
To think the founder of /e/ OS (formerly – eelo) project tried to sought help from the likes Elon Musk. He should be relieved that Elon Musk ignored his letter.
Quoting the article,
> Twitter’s press team ceased responding to emails.
> When attempting to contact Twitter’s press department as a journalist, an automated response consisting solely of a feces emoji will now be received.
Looks like Twitter’s press team does respond to journalist’ emails, be it with an automated emoji, lol.
I guess it’s less the emoji than the lack of a full response which is the point.
This said — putting aside news being fake or not, essentially fake from a conspiracy’s systematic and pathological approach — my feeling is that the way news are presented, the way interviews are conducted are increasingly formatted in a sensationalist way, titles are often misleading, investigation often preoccupied as it seems by scoops rather than by explanations.
We’re in the era where everyone, all corporations, all businesses are impeached by the masses. I think it’s about time that journalism starts investigating on … itself. Too often does it behave with some arrogance legitimized perhaps by it being aware of it’s 4th power aura. Interviewers are often tangent to impoliteness, interrupting answers which require a development, skipping to the next question before the former is fully answered, attempting to trap the interviewed etc etc … This is IMO a journalism which runs after anything and all you want except the quest and delivery of information.
I won’t defend Twitter but I can understand a fed-up feeling regarding a certain type of journalism.
You pretty much (more or less at least) sum up my opinions in general of todays journalists and “journalists”. They, the journalists, unfortnately created their own problem so they are also the only ones that got the “key” to solve their problem, but I doubt they even care anymore, the proud professionalism that used to surround a journalists work seem to be long gone for the majority, so the bad ones drag the good ones down along with them.
Journalists and “journalists” as you write it, Karl. Indeed.
I could/should have added that I don’t of course include in my critics regarding a certain journalistic behavior so-called senior reporters, great photojournalists, war reporters, whom are on the ground and investigate raw life.
I could have added as well that journalism is diffrenently carried out from one country to another, besides common points to the profession itself. I’ll take this example which I’ve never forgotten because it often occurs IMO : a U.S. editorial writer, I think of The New York Times, many years ago, had written “French journalism excels in the art of the approximate”. I’m French myself, so I can admit that I fully agree with this statement without being guilty of a whatever French bashing (I could write what I like and dislike among the numerous countries I’ve lived in and France would be flattered!). Here we’re dealing, not with honesty but with talent, which is the other side of the coin.
Anyway, a very nice profession, that of journalism. Someone asked me one day “Are you a cop?” and when I answered with a laugh “No I’m not!” he replied “A journalist, then?” – “Neither!”. I could have been a writer, novelist, lol. What I mean with this anecdote is that investigation is a common word — or should be – to journalism and the police. Amen.
The power of the poop. Really finest as it deserves. Imho a big flag with a poop emoji should be created right now and set it at the embassy of the virtual republic of the freedom speech. I beg your pardon, I can’t manage myself after reading this article.
“De poop op de stoep” (“The poop on the sidewalk”) as they day in Dutch. Nicer in Dutch because “poop” and “stoep” rhyme, brings it a poetic touch so to say, lol. No idea how they say “The poop in the email” in the Netherlands. We’ll never repeat it enough : beware before opening an email, you’re never sure what it may contain.
Reminds me my teenage amusements (I’ve never been an intellectual, lol).
Be it ever so functionally simple, at least Elon Musk doesn’t own it: Mastodon.
F**k sociopathic billionaires with their middle fingers constantly raised at the little people.
He is an ass. Best method of dealing with him is not to buy his products.