NPR Suspends Use of Twitter After Being Labeled as “State-Affiliated Media

National Public Radio (NPR) announced Wednesday that it will suspend its use of Twitter after a dispute over the social media company’s decision to label the broadcaster as “state-affiliated media.”

In a statement, NPR said it will no longer be active on Twitter because the platform is taking actions that “undermine our credibility by falsely implying that we are not editorially independent.”

The decision comes after Twitter labeled NPR as a “state-affiliated media” organization, similar to foreign propaganda outlets such as Russia’s RT and Sputnik. NPR said the move was quickly met with criticism from its staff and the public.

NPR CEO John Lansing said in a separate statement that “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.”

The broadcaster said it will continue to use other social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to share its journalism. It also said it will continue to use Twitter to promote its stories and programs, but will no longer use the platform to engage with its audience.