Yet Voice of America and Stars and Stripes are not labeled as state-affiliated media, when they literally are.
I've seen a few quoted statistics (unverified) that NPR gets between 1-2% of their budget from the federal government. If correct then far less than space companies have received for example. Should they be "state-affiliated industries" then?
I'd add that if you are going to label NPR this, you might as well also label every single public radio station's Twitter account as this as well. At least if they broadcast any NPR content at all.
Twitter is so transparently Elon's personal playground now and it's sad. Between the "doge" rebrand, stripping the NYT of its verified status and now (and most egregiously IMO) this latest decision, he's just fucking with Twitter's userbase because he can.
How state-affiliated media accounts are defined at Twitter
State-affiliated media is defined as outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution. Accounts belonging to state-affiliated media entities, their editors-in-chief, and/or their prominent staff may be labeled.
State-financed media organizations with editorial independence, like the BBC in the UK for example, are not defined as state-affiliated media for the purposes of this policy.
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Do these labels limit functionality?
In the case of state-affiliated media entities, Twitter will not recommend or amplify accounts or their Tweets with these labels to people. In limited circumstances where there is heightened risk for harm, including situations where governments block access to information on the internet in the context of an armed conflict, Twitter will also not recommend or amplify certain government accounts or their Tweets with these labels to people.
Funding for NPR comes from dues and fees paid by member stations, underwriting from corporate sponsors and annual grants from the publicly-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Most of its member stations are owned by non-profit organizations, including public school districts, colleges, and universities.
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NPR is a membership organization. Member stations are required to be non-commercial or non-commercial educational radio stations; have at least five full-time professional employees; operate for at least 18 hours per day; and not be designed solely to further a religious broadcasting philosophy or be used for classroom distance learning programming. Each member station receives one vote at the annual NPR board meetings—exercised by its designated Authorized Station Representative ("A-Rep").
To oversee the day-to-day operations and prepare its budget, members elect a board of directors.
I suspect that it's part of the push to force companies to pay the $1000 for "the checkmark." Apparently, the conversion to subscription services and for-fee validation is not producing the desired effects so the Chief Twit appears to be doing everything he can to make those that he feel "should pay"--but are not--as painful as possible. (See also NYT.)
I think they mean to suggest that NPR is the voice of the administration, even though actual public funding for NPR is a small part of their budget these days.
I've seen a few quoted statistics (unverified) that NPR gets between 1-2% of their budget from the federal government. If correct then far less than space companies have received for example. Should they be "state-affiliated industries" then?
I'd add that if you are going to label NPR this, you might as well also label every single public radio station's Twitter account as this as well. At least if they broadcast any NPR content at all.