Twitter's page dedicated to explaining the different labels was also deleted.
The move coincided with the social media giant's decision to take away the verification checkmarks of individuals who hadn't yet paid the $8 fee to join Twitter Blue.
The removal of the labels was first noticed by users on Friday, many of whom tweeted about it.
The page on Twitter's website dedicated to explaining the different labels has since been deleted, suggesting they are either being revamped, or gone for good.
While the accounts of Russia Today, Xinhua News, and other propaganda outlets controlled by authoritarian regimes were given their respective labels in 2020, it was only recently that news organizations in democratic nations were subject to the same treatment.
National Public Radio, which has described itself as a "private, nonprofit company with editorial independence," was the firs to be slapped with a "state-affiliated media" label. It was soon changed to "government-funded media," despite the fact that, according to CEO John Lansing, it "receives less than 1 percent of its $300 million annual budget from the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting."
NPR did not respond kindly to the label, and announced that it would stop posting on Twitter as a result. The Public Broadcasting Service, which receives 15 percent of its revenue from the federal government, was also hit with the label, and joined NPR in boycotting the platform.
Perhaps most notable, however, was Twitter's decision to label the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation "government-funded media." Journalists, pundits, and even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau complained, noting that the CBC was not fully publicly-funded.
Elon Musk changed the label to "70% government-funded," but soon altered it to say "69% government-funded."
Now, as is the case with all the aforementioned outlets, CBC is back to having no label attached to its account.
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
