Indie Auto has posted its last tweet . . . at least as long as Elon Musk rules Twitter. Those of you who have followed us on that platform are invited to do so on Facebook instead.
If you don’t like Facebook, you could sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter (go here). Or you could just stop by the website each weekend. That’s the ideal time because during the work week I typically post on the front page three or four new or updated items.
I am saddened to leave Twitter because I have found it to be exceptionally useful in tracking large amounts of information. However, I have lost confidence in Musk’s leadership of the platform.
Over the years Musk has made valuable contributions in such areas as electric cars and space flight. Nevertheless, he has not displayed the capacity to run a social media outlet. Analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush sums it up as well as anyone by calling Musk’s leadership of Twitter a “train wreck disaster” (Baccardax, 2022).
Media leader should understand the First Amendment
As a case in point, Musk (2022b) recently tweeted the following about the refusal of previous Twitter management to allow certain information about Hunter Biden to be posted: “If this isn’t a violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment, what is?”
This is a remarkably ignorant question. To understand why, let’s take a look at the First Amendment’s actual language:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (constitution.congress.gov, 2022)
The First Amendment only restricts the government. There is nothing in the constitution that requires a private media outlet to publish anything. That means Twitter has complete autonomy to decide what information it will allow users to post. You can disagree with their decisions, but it is not a constitutional issue.
Dude: No one is obligated to buy your products
By the same token, after Apple mostly stopped advertising on Twitter, Musk (2022a) asked: “Do they hate free speech in America?”
Here we have another ignorant question. “Free speech” includes the right of a company to decide where it invests its advertising dollars. It’s no different than any other business decision. If Musk wants Apple to buy ads from Twitter, he shouldn’t bully them. Instead, he should focus on better meeting their marketing objectives.
This ain’t rocket science. However, there are some essential skills you need to be effective at running a media outlet. Musk walked in the door without them — and has displayed little willingness to learn. This leads me to question whether he has the natural aptitude for this kind of work.
I have lost hope that Twitter will improve under Musk. May he develop the self awareness to cut his losses and go back to doing what he does well.
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Baccardax, Martin; 2022. “Tesla Sentiment, Fundamentals Affected By Musk’s Twitter Purchase – Morgan Stanley Survey.” The Street. Posted Nov. 29.
- Musk, Elon; 2022a. Tweeted 9:45 a.m., Nov. 28.
- ——; 2022b. Tweeted 5:17 p.m., Dec. 2.
You won’t find me on Twitter either [not that Musk cares anyway!]. Not worth my time.
I also dumped Twitter. I rarely posted anything, but did follow several news sites but Musk is clearly outside his expertise. Having all the money in the world, or maybe more money than God, doesn’t make you an expert in everything. Elon, you need some grandkids who can ask you for help with their math homework. That should humble you rather quickly.