A lot has changed since Elon Musk took control of Twitter. This also applies to dealings with the press. Before the takeover, journalists usually received a response, often useful, from the company.
However, since the acquisition, Twitter has been ignoring attempts by media representatives to contact them. That has changed again since Sunday – but not for the better.
As Musk announced on Twitter, any request sent to the “[email protected]” email address will now be automatically answered with the “poop” emoji, i.e. a downplayed representation of a nicely stacked pile of feces.
The editors tried this – and immediately got the brownish emoji in response.
PR stunt by a press enemy
The rough to contemptuous handling of the press is not new to Elon Musk. He likes to accuse the media of malicious bias against himself and his companies.
At Tesla, he completely abolished the press department in 2020, and even SpaceX or The Boring Company are looking in vain for a space for media representatives on the websites.
In the past, the billionaire mostly relied on social media — or spoke to select representatives in person.
In this regard, the latest move is neither a surprise nor a significant change in the status quo – nevertheless, the automated ridicule attracted worldwide attention and irritation.
Again, Musk could reverse this move after a few days. A team that actually answers press inquiries probably won’t exist for the foreseeable future either.
Sources
- forbes.com: Elon Musk sends automated poop emoji to all reporters who email questions to Twitter
- twitter.com: Tweet from Elon Musk
(t-online/dsc)
Source: Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
