Fresh Air
Best Of: Inside Elon Musk's Twitter Takeover / Comic Taylor Tomlinson
Sep 14, 2024
Ryan Mac and Kate Conger, both New York Times tech reporters and co-authors of 'Character Limit,' dive into the chaotic aftermath of Elon Musk's Twitter takeover, revealing how political shifts and drastic changes to content moderation unfolded. Comedian Taylor Tomlinson shares her journey from church gigs to late-night comedy, exploring the intersections of humor and mental health. Also, literature critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Rachel Kushner's novel, weaving together themes of comedy and insightful storytelling.
48:37
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Quick takeaways
- Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter caused widespread workforce reductions and operational chaos, aiming for efficiency but creating anxiety among remaining employees.
- Musk's relaxed content moderation policies attracted backlash from advertisers, raising concerns about long-term financial stability amid controversial associations with extreme views.
Deep dives
Elon Musk's Leadership Changes at Twitter
Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter led to dramatic changes in the company's structure and culture, including the reduction of the workforce by approximately 75%. This turnaround included significant cuts in management, engineering, content moderation, and even janitorial services, leaving virtually no area of the company untouched. Following these layoffs, Musk conducted an intense review of the company’s budget, demanding that remaining employees justify their expenditures, which contributed to a chaotic work environment. These drastic measures were framed as efforts to enhance efficiency but ultimately led to increased anxiety among employees and significant operational disruptions.
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