Less than 36 hours after it suspended all activities on Twitter, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) News returned to the micro-blogging platform on Sunday (November 20).
In a statement, the American commercial broadcast TV network said, “After pausing for much of the weekend to assess the security concerns, CBS News and Stations is resuming its activity on Twitter as we continue to monitor the situation.”
The U-turn came less than 2 days after CBS News suspended the use of Twitter, citing ‘uncertainty’ around the social media site.
After pausing for much of the weekend to assess the security concerns, CBS News and Stations is resuming its activity on Twitter as we continue to monitor the situation.
— CBS News PR (@CBSNewsPress) November 20, 2022
The background of the Controversy
Earlier on Friday (November 18), the network’s national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti confirmed the decision during an episode of ‘CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell.’
The segment named ‘Twitter turmoil’ highlighted the mass resignation of Twitter employees after Elon Musk reportedly asked them to commit to an ‘extreme hardcore’ work regime or leave the social media giant.
While speaking about the development, Jonathan Vigliotti said, “Tonight, as questions mount over Twitter’s future, Elon Musk offers little reassurance he has a permanent plan, tweeting, ‘What should Twitter do next?’”
🚨#BREAKING: CBS News and local CBS-owned stations have suspended their use of Twitter. CBS has just confirmed that they are no longer posting updates on Twitter pic.twitter.com/sSxKOS5GKI
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 19, 2022
The CBS News segment thereafter featured a quote from an ex-Twitter engineer who accused Elon Musk of fostering a “culture of fear and uncertainty, of anxiety.”
And then, Vigliotti announced that CBS News will cease all activities on the social media platform in light of ‘uncertainty’ following the takeover of Elon Musk.
He remarked, “In light of the uncertainty around Twitter, and out of an abundance of caution, CBS News is pausing its activity on the social media site as it continues to monitor the platform.”
Our love will never die pic.twitter.com/y5SldfAAt0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2022
The sudden U-turn by CBS News was ridiculed by Twitter users and even Elon Musk. “Our love will never die”, wrote Musk after the American news network decided to resume its activities on the micro-blogging site.
Twitter users could it funny that after declaring to ‘cease all activities on Twitter’ over some alleged moral high ground, CBS News came back to Twitter within 48 hours.
Donald Trump
Elon Musk had reinstated former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account after a dramatic poll saw millions of people vote in favour. However, even after more than a day, Donald Trump has not tweeted anything or acknowledged the reactivation of his account.
Donald Trump was “permanently banned” from Twitter’s earlier leadership following the Jan 6 2021 protests at the US Capitol. Elon Musk had been opposed of bans and ‘muzzling of voices’ over ideology and politics and since he bought the platform, speculations have been rife over whether he will reinstate the handle of the former president.
However, after the dramatic Twitter poll and the reinstation, things so far have been a bit dull because Trump is yet to tweet anything, despite gathering over 87.2 million followers, way ahead of Joe Biden, in a matter of 24 hours.
Musk has been teasing Trump about it in his usual quirky meme style.
And lead us not into temptation … pic.twitter.com/8qNOXzwXS9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2022
Sharing a hilarious meme based on a medieval painting, Elong Musk tried to hint that Trump may be itching to tweet, but he is somehow resisting the temptation, acting all aloof.
