British news publication the Guardian has announced that it will stop posting its content on X (previously Twitter), calling the social media platform “toxic”.
The announcement came in an official statement published by the outlet on Wednesday. The Guardian has accused X of promoting “racism” and “conspiracy theories”.
The Guardian has 10.7 million followers on X. It has become the first UK media organisation to quit X, which billionaire Elon Musk acquired in October 2022 for $44 billion.
“We wanted to let readers know that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X (formerly Twitter),” says the Guardian. “We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere.”
Referring to the recent US presidential elections, the Guardian says that Musk has been using the platform’s “influence to shape political discourse”.
X users, however, will still be able to share the Guardian articles and the outlet will “occasionally” carry content from X in its stories in case of live news coverage.
“Our reporters will also be able to carry on using the site for news-gathering purposes, just as they use other social networks in which we do not officially engage,” the publication says.
The Guardian states that it sees little scope for X in promoting its work.
