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A note on Twitter from WBUR CEO Margaret Low

Earlier today, NPR announced that it will no longer post to its official Twitter feeds. As David Folkenflik is reporting, NPR is "the first major news organization to go silent on the social media platform."

WBUR is following suit in solidarity with NPR. We will stop posting on Twitter.

Last week, Twitter Chief Elon Musk labeled NPR "state-affiliated media." Over the weekend he changed that to "government-funded media." But it is still misleading and it's important to know the facts. NPR does rely on some government funding — from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other government funders like the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. None of those grants are guaranteed and all told account for less than 1% of NPR's annual operating budget.

NPR and WBUR believe recent actions by Musk seek to undermine the integrity of our news organizations. WBUR will stop tweeting from official WBUR accounts, effective April 12.

In explaining NPR's decision, CEO John Lansing said: "Actions by Twitter or other social media companies to tarnish the independence of any public media institution are exceptionally harmful and set a dangerous precedent."

We agree.

As always, we want our journalism to be accessible for all. Our audiences can discover, experience and engage with WBUR on air, online, on demand, in their inboxes and in real life.

At moments like this, it bears repeating: WBUR's mission is to produce high-quality journalism and enriching experiences that foster understanding, connection and community in Boston and beyond. We remain committed to that purpose. But a presence on Twitter no longer supports it.

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