The Guardian, one of the UK’s leading newspaper groups, has announced it will cease posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, due to what it described as the platform’s increasingly “toxic” nature. In a statement to its readers, the publication expressed growing concerns over the direction of the platform under the ownership of Elon Musk, particularly in light of the recent US presidential election.
The Guardian’s decision reflects its apprehension that Musk has used X to influence political discourse, with the media group pointing to his outspoken support for former President Donald Trump. Musk, who is known for his political involvement, has recently been given a role in Trump’s incoming administration to help cut government spending. The Guardian stated that it had been “considering for a while” the negative effects of being on the platform, citing issues such as the promotion of far-right conspiracy theories and racism.
While the newspaper confirmed it would no longer post directly on X, it clarified that readers could still share its articles on the platform. Additionally, The Guardian is likely to continue embedding X posts in its coverage of major world events. Despite this, the publication concluded that the “benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives.”
The announcement was also shared on X itself, where reactions from users were mixed. Some responses, particularly from those who paid for prominent replies, criticized The Guardian’s decision, accusing the newspaper of promoting “woke propaganda” and “virtue signaling.”
The departure marks a sharp critique of the platform’s increasing political alignment with Trump, a figure The Guardian has long opposed. The timing of the decision, following Trump’s election victory, appears strategic, with the publication positioning itself as a key part of the opposition to Trump’s influence. The Guardian, which prides itself on being “the world’s leading liberal voice,” has used the election results to emphasize its independence from billionaire media moguls like Musk.
In a surprising turn, The Guardian’s readers responded enthusiastically to a fundraising appeal, pledging more than $1.8 million (£1.4 million) in a single day, setting a record for the newspaper. Ben Mullin, media reporter for The New York Times, noted that this surge in donations reflects growing public support for adversarial journalism in the post-election climate.
The move away from X by The Guardian could signal a wider shift in media behavior. X’s competitors, particularly Meta’s Threads and Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky, are seeing increasing user engagement. In the past two months, Bluesky gained four million new users and briefly topped the download charts in both the UK and US Apple App Stores, although it remains a smaller player with just 15 million users globally.
As X faces mounting criticism, industry experts are questioning whether more major outlets will follow The Guardian’s lead.