Decoder with Nilay Patel

How Donald Trump and Elon Musk killed Twitter, with Marty Baron and Zoe Schiffer

Dec 21, 2023

This podcast explores the downfall of Twitter due to the actions of power users Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It discusses the evolution of Twitter's influence in culture and politics, addressing negative culture and misinformation. The ban of Donald Trump and its effect on Elon Musk's perception of Twitter's power is highlighted. Additionally, the impact of Elon Musk on Twitter, including its declining cultural relevancy and alienation of important figures, is discussed. The podcast emphasizes the importance of holding powerful individuals accountable and mentions upcoming podcast format changes.

39:31

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Quick takeaways

Twitter's decline can be attributed to the lack of understanding and control by its leadership and the detrimental actions of powerful figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Donald Trump's presidency fundamentally changed Twitter's dynamics, as his erratic behavior and tweets shaped news coverage, exposing Twitter's struggle with moderation and highlighting the platform's lack of preparedness in handling rapid news and misinformation spread.

Deep dives

The Rise and Fall of Twitter

Twitter, once a platform that fascinated powerful individuals, has undergone a decline due to the lack of understanding and control of its own leadership. While initially seen as a force for good, Twitter's leadership failed to grasp the true potential and significance of its user base. Users played a crucial role in shaping Twitter, from creating features like hashtags to turning it into a hub for news and social movements. However, users also became the downfall of the platform, as figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk used Twitter to spread misinformation and incite violence. The platform's lackluster moderation, indecisive management, and inability to curb harmful content led to a decline in cultural relevancy. The acquisition by Elon Musk further spelled doom for Twitter, as he prioritized his own experience and disregarded the core values of the platform. With the upcoming presidential election and the continued influence of harmful conspiracy theories, Twitter's future remains uncertain.

Twitter as a Force for Good and Its Impact on Talent Recruitment

01:10

Impact of Elon Musk's Takeover of Twitter

01:05

Introduction

4min

The Transformation of Twitter: From Idealism to Influence

16min

Distrust in Institutions and the Need for Swift Action on Social Media

2min

Twitter's Actions and January 6th: Tensions, Bans, and Turning Points

5min

Elon Musk's Impact on Twitter and its Demise

10min

Holding Powerful Individuals Accountable

2min

2023 will go down as the year that Elon Musk killed Twitter. First he did it in a big way, by buying the company, firing most of the employees, and destabilizing the platform; then he did it in a small, but important, symbolic way, by renaming the company X and trying to make a full break with what came before. So now that the story of the company named Twitter is officially over, it felt important to stop and ask: What was Twitter, anyway, and why were so many powerful people obsessed with it for so long?

In this special episode, I sat down with Marty Baron, former executive editor of The Washington Post, and Zoe Schiffer, managing editor of Platform and author of Extremely Hardcore: Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter. We discussed how two of Twitter’s most dedicated power users – Donald Trump and Elon Musk — were addicted to the platform, defined it, changed it, broke it, and then put it to rest.

Links:

The year Twitter died: a special series from The Verge

Extremely softcore

Inside Elon Musk's “extremely hardcore” Twitter

How Twitter broke the news

Trump vs. Twitter: The president takes on social media moderation

Martin Baron recounts leading The Washington Post during the Trump era

Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. It was edited by Callie Wright.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.

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