The Next Day: Media In Hysterics Over Twitter-Journo Bans

The MSM, which spent the better part of five years celebrating whenever a conservative news outlet was banned, suppressed, or demonetized by big tech, are suddenly turning Elon Musk’s temporary ban on a handful of left-wing journos into a First Amendment catastrophe.

To recap, Twitter on Thursday suspended several left-wing reporters without explanation – with Musk later suggesting they had ‘doxxed’ him at some point. Those kicked off the platform include, Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, Ryan Mac of the NY Times, Anthony Webster of Bellingcat, Donnie O’Sullivan of CNN, Micah F. Lee of The Intercept, Matt Binder of Mashable and Drew Harwell of the Washington Post.

The media reacted as if Musk had just committed two January 6ths and a 9/11 on their First Amendment rights – while remaining completely tone-deaf to their own behavior – such as when journalist Alex Berenson was kicked off the platform and had to sue his way back under Twitter’s previous management.

imagine being this out of touch where this is an actual headline https://t.co/wDKm4U0Kel

— Barbarian Capital (@BarbarianCap) December 16, 2022

The Washington Post‘s resident doxxer Taylor Lorenz flipped out and complained in a “Twitter Spaces” forum about being doxxed herself.

“It’s just so rich to hear him [Musk] complain about doxxing and harassment,” said Lorenz. “I mean, I am doxxed and harassed constantly on this app. That doesn’t mean that everything on this app has to be moderated, but I do think users deserve more control over their own experience.”

Taylor Lorenz is complaining on Twitter spaces about being doxxed and harassed. The irony!

Also her contact at Twitter was fired 😂. No more special treatment! pic.twitter.com/pbmj3THv8e

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 16, 2022

CNN called the banning of Donie O’Sullivan “impulsive and unjustified.”

WaPo executive editor Sally Buzbee said Musk’s decision “directly undermines” his stated ‘free speech absolutism.’

The suspension of [Post reporter] Drew Harwell’s Twitter account directly undermines Elon Musk’s claim that he intends to run Twitter as a platform dedicated to free speech. Harwell was banished from Twitter without warning, process or explanation, following the publication of his accurate reporting about Musk. Our journalist should be reinstated immediately. -Sally Buzbee

Democratic operative lawyer Marc Elias suggested that ‘big media’ may not remain on Twitter – after the New York Times issued a statement Thursday evening calling the bannings “questionable and unfortunate,” and called for Twitter to offer an explanation. On Friday, the paper privately asked staff not to fight with Musk on Twitter, Semafor reports.

let’s find out https://t.co/mRPPw876Tk

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 16, 2022

Sorry Marc, they aren’t going anywhere.

Instead, NBC News temporarily suspended senior reporter Ben Collins for his “editorially inappropriate” coverage of Musk.

“NBC News had already benched one of the journalists who has reported on Twitter and been harshly critical of Musk. NBC News temporarily suspended tech reporter Ben Collins from covering Musk on NBC and MSNBC airwaves” – Semafor https://t.co/8VDqQrFC60

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) December 16, 2022

Even Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) admitted that “Twitter is a tragic necessity for elected officials.” 

Rep. @RitchieTorres won’t leave Twitter, “a tragic necessity for elected officials” https://t.co/92lxPhRXUk pic.twitter.com/xVkcZsnaXr

— Ben Smith (@semaforben) December 16, 2022

As usual, (actual) journalist Glenn Greenwald has a spot-on take:

Watching the same liberal corporate journalists who explicitly agitated for a regime of social media censorship suddenly and righteously wrap themselves in the flag of free speech is simultaneously nauseating and hilarious – but also encouraging and inspiring. Welcome, indeed!🙏 https://t.co/o2UZhEwfe9

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 16, 2022

Continued:

Every *genuine* free speech advocate I’ve ever known has tried to convince people to object to censorship *on principle*. But knowing many are bereft of principles – eg liberal journalists – we try the tactical approach: this regime is bad because it will be used against you.

I’d be genuinely happy if this were a transformative moment: where liberals who’ve spent years demanding online censorship now see its evils since it’s directed at them and their friends. But of course it’s not that: they’re complaining because they think *they* should be exempt.

CNN and NYT journalists and executives: “Wait. When we were demanding more of this, we didn’t mean that this should be done to *us*! This was supposed to be used only against right-wing cretins, conservative journalists, and other species of peasants — not against **us**.”

Just last month, EU officials were threatening @ElonMusk with sanctions and other legal reprisals if he doesn’t censor more.

Now they’re threatening him with sanctions due to last night’s bans.

Do you see the issue? Zero principles. Just whether the right people are censored: pic.twitter.com/Uv46J6jJJ0

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 16, 2022

Yet another conservative journalist objecting to the Twitter bans. I can count on one hand the liberal employees at major media corporations who ever objected to Big Tech censorship before last night. They wanted more of it. This is what “principles” are:https://t.co/78a16kP0ZF

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 16, 2022