Elon Musk and allies are building a new anti-left media ecosystem almost overnight. Why it matters: It’s as if the New York Times editorial page suddenly flipped to the right. With the reins in Musk’s hands, the right is gaining power in online spaces the left once dominated. “The furious and enthusiastic reactions to Musk’s takeover resemble the furious and enthusiastic reactions to presidential races,” writes Ross Douthat, a conservative columnist for the New York Times. In both cases, Douthat says, “the leadership change really affects how people experience their daily lives.” Look who’s driving the news on Twitter: High-profile Republicans gained tens of thousands of followers in the weeks after Musk acquired Twitter, while their Democratic counterparts lost followers, according to a Washington Post analysis. Anti-mainstream-media journalists — like Bari Weiss and Matt Taibbi — are driving the narrative, getting the clicks and earning new followers on Musk’s Twitter. They’re thriving in an environment in which alternative, anti-left and anti-establishment media have taken center stage. Case in point: Bari Weiss’ new media company, The Free Press — which launched 10 days ago — has amassed nearly 125,000 followers. That’s about three times as many as Puck, the buzzy news outlet with big names that launched in 2021, has picked up. Look who’s gotten the boot: Twitter suspended a slew of journalists who cover tech and Musk at mainstream media outlets like the New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN on Thursday, alarming free-speech advocates. Many of the suspended accounts were reinstated over the weekend. Taylor Lorenz, a tech columnist for the Washington Post, had her account suspended late Saturday night after she tweeted requesting Musk’s comment on a story, she writes. Susan Li of Fox Business also got a ban after reporting on the suspensions, she told CNN’s Oliver Darcy.
via axios: Musk’s magical media-shifting machine
