Spotlight 10 Informed


Jane Martinson, Guardian columnist, Musk and the media


What does Elon Musk’s involvement in Donald Trump’s administration mean for


journalism? Tara Conlan reports


With his frequent denouncements of “fake news” and pejorative use of the words “mainstream media”, Donald Trump’s election win has many implications for journalists, but one of the key and most immediate ones is the influence of X owner Elon Musk. Billionaire Musk’s behaviour and his heading of the Department of


Government Efficiency has prompted many in the media to take flight to X’s new social media rival Bluesky, most notably the Guardian, which said it would no longer post on X. Te Guardian said it had been considering leaving “for a while given the oſten disturbing content promoted or found on the platform including far-right conspiracy theories and racism” but the US presidential election campaign underlined X as “a toxic media platform” and it said Musk, “has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.” Non-profit Bluesky had 13.65million users before the US election but added over 7million during the following fortnight with many in media deserting X for its new rival. Journalists realise Musk’s sway makes him one of the most powerful media owners ever, which has implications for the profession and X.


professor of financial journalism at City University and author of You May Never See Us Again - a book about the once-powerful media barons the Barclay brothers - said: “Elon Musk has used his own platform to publicly support his own right wing causes and influence the US election. Te nature of social media and its enormous reach has made him more powerful than any other media owner.” Professor Chris Frost, NUJ Ethics Council chair, thinks Musk’s position means it is likely “we’ll continue to get masses of misinformation and other types of so-called journalism like that. Musk’s put himself forward as this champion of free speech [but] free speech isn’t about being able to tell lies, about being able to put out misinformation [or] trying to trick people.


“He’s been put in an immensely


powerful position. It’s probably the most powerful position, actually, of anybody in the world, because he’s been appointed to this enormous job with no democratic accountability whatsoever.” Frost pointed out: “If you want to


get close to Trump, you need the money in order to buy the influence. It’s quite clear that the media barons want influence because, obviously, it would assist their business.” He added that Trump’s views on the media have helped people become more polarised on social media, “which does seem it makes it an even trickier path for journalists to navigate”.


Student Seminar Tis year’s sold-out Ireland student seminar focused on supporting journalists starting their careers. Stephen Corrigan chaired a panel of leading journalists sharing advice and


networking at the reception. Te event returns in 2026.


National World U-turn Proposals to cut 40% of journalists’ jobs in Sunderland and Manchester were slammed by the NUJ


as a clear reversal in the strategy announced when chair David Montgomery took the helm.


Orwell prize Entries are now welcome for Te Orwell Society/ NUJ


Young Journalist’s Awards, which offers a cash prize and Orwell Society and NUJ membership to the winners of two categories: columns and reviews. Encourage young members to apply by 24 March 2025.


Karlis Dzjamko / Alamy Stock Photo


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12