United Kingdom | “The Guardian” leaves social network X: will it be an isolated decision or will there be a chain reaction?

Founded in 2006 and acquired by Elon Musk in 2022, the microblogging service formerly known as Twitter is still one of the most important social networks in the world, with approximately 335 million monthly active users, according to Statista data. The Guardian also had a strong presence on the platform, which it joined in November 2009, with almost 11 million followers on its official account.

In a statement sent in what would be its last communication on the platform, the renowned British media indicated that it was a decision that they had been considering for some time in view of the spread of racism and conspiracy theories on the platform, an opinion that the recent presidential campaign in the US ended up underlining. “We believe that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that the resources could be used to promote our journalism elsewhere”, afirma “The Guardian”.

To find out about the consequences that the English newspaper’s decision could have, The Commerce spoke with Manuel Santillán-Vásquez, professor of Communications at the University of Lima, who considers that the implications for could be positive for The Guardian.

“They are withdrawing from a space that, according to recent studies, is allowing content that generates hatred and misinformation, so their decision not to remain in this space is, in my opinion, one that has been taken from ethical principles and journalistic quality”, he emphasizes.

For his part, Erick Iriarte, a lawyer specializing in digital law, points out that the British media has not completely separated itself from the platform. “One of the things that The Guardian has said is that although it is withdrawing from continuing to publish through X, users can continue sharing their information through the social network, so its content will continue to circulate to the extent May your readers continue sharing it”, he highlights. “So, first of all, what the newspaper should do is strengthen its relationship with its readers so that they continue to be an instrument of communication..”

“What will have to be determined is whether the departure from The Guardian is permanent and whether other platforms with more weight, effectiveness and reach are available.”, reflects Iriarte, who is also president of the Ethics Court of the Peruvian Press Council. “You have to see If this is the beginning of a trend for other media to step aside and let the generation of opinion be done among people without their mediation, with the risks that this could bring.”.

Precedents and similar scenarios

This is not the first time that a brand has turned its back on Elon Musk’s social network. Large companies such as Disney, Apple and Warner Bros. temporarily stopped advertising on More recently,

For Iriarte, this last situation and that of “The Guardian” are very different, so we should not expect a similar response. “I think it is a very different scenario, The Guardian is only stopping using the social network, a different situation from when it affects your financing line as is the case with advertisers.”, he thinks. “Although this situation is probably a warning sign for those within the company to wonder what is happening, if this could be a trend and if they have to change their strategies to avoid being questioned further.”

Perhaps the case of “The Guardian” is then more similar to that of NPR (National Public Radio) and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), which stopped using what is still called Twitter in April 2023 after they were labeled by the platform as “State-affiliated media”, becoming the first two major Western media outlets to abandon the social network.

And the problem lies in where to go, since few social networks still offer the same experience and audience as X.

“What do we have between the platforms with those characteristics, with short messages of few characters and those interaction options? Threads, from Instagram, has stopped growing and I don’t think it represents a threat to the positioning ofconsiders Santillán-Vásquez. “In my opinion, only those two lead, so I don’t think that X is dead today nor will he be dead soon either, since many people and many media still get their information from there. There’s still a while to do that.”

However, it highlights the delicate position in which the social network finds itself. “In economic terms, the social network is very battered. It has seen its finances damaged, in terms of positioning as a platform it has stopped growing and it is being criticized for harmful content. It is a company that remains because it has weak competitors, but it also raises serious questions.”, he notes.

Another medium and figures that move away

As if to begin to answer the question of our headline, hours after the announcement by “The Guardian”, “La Vanguardia” (Barcelona) became the first Spanish media to abandon Musk’s social network. “The recent election campaign in the United States or the lies that have been spread regarding the DANA from Valencia “They have contributed to the decision made by our newspaper,” stressed its director. Jordi Juan in the printed version of the Catalan newspaper.

In any case, the Catalan newspaper will not prevent its journalists post content from the house on the social network, which leaves its editorial staff free to decide whether to emulate the newspaper on a personal level or not.

“The Guardian” and “La Vanguardia” have not been the only X users to recently announce their abandonment of the platform. Celebrities such as actress Jamie Lee Curtis also announced their departure from the social network.

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things that I can. And the wisdom to know the difference” the “Halloween” actress wrote in an Instagram post showing that she had deleted her X account.

She is not alone: ​​her colleague Bette Midler and the American journalist Don Lemon also announced that they will no longer participate in the social network. “I’ve loved connecting with all of you on X, but it’s time for me to leave the platform. I once believed it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency and freedom of expression, but now I feel it does not serve that purpose“wrote the television presenter. Even the Berlin Film Festival also announced that it will leave X as of December 31, although on this occasion it did not explain the reason for its decision and whether it had political reasons.