Anger as Twitter bans top journalists covering Elon Musk: ‘Nothing says free speech like…’

CNN’s Donie O Sullivan and NYT’s Ryan Mac were among those whose accounts were suspended. (Images: LinkedIn)

Twitter suspending the accounts of several prominent reporters extensively covering its new boss Elon Musk has sparked anger online.

The suspended profiles include those of reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post and CNN and some independent journalists.

Twitter has given no explanation for the action taken against the accounts.  The account pages just said they “violate the Twitter rules.”

CNN criticised Twitter's "increasing instability" while responding to the suspensions.

"The impulsive and unjustified suspension of a number of reporters, including CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, is concerning but not surprising," the organisation said.

Twitter bans several reporters covering Elon Musk, including those from CNN, Washington Post and NYT

Sally Buzbee, executive editor of The Washington Post, said their reporter  Drew Harwell was "banished without warning, process or explanation, following the publication of his accurate reporting about Musk".

"Our journalist should be reinstated immediately," she added.

"Harwell was banished from Twitter without warning, process or explanation, following the publication of his accurate reporting about Musk. Our journalist should be reinstated immediately.”

2 — Tom Namako (@TomNamako) December 16, 2022

The New York Times said the same about their reporter Ryan Mac.

“Neither The Times nor Ryan have received any explanation about why this occurred," a spokesperson for the paper was quoted as saying by CNN. "We hope that all of the journalists’ accounts are reinstated and that Twitter provides a satisfying explanation for this action.”

Other journalists suspended by Twitter are Mashable's Matt Binder and independent journalists Tony Webster and Aaron Rupar.

The last tweets of some of the suspended accounts were critical of Musk.

This was The Washington Post's @drewharwell's post before he was suspended from Twitter, outlining how Twitter suspended the account of its competitor Mastodon earlier today. pic.twitter.com/Vc8QuwHXZE — Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) December 16, 2022

Many on Twitter pointed out how the suspensions were contrary to Musk's claims of being a free speech absolutist. 

Nothing says free speech like suspending journalists who cover you. — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) December 16, 2022

The last two stories @drewharwell wrote before Twitter suddenly suspended him. https://t.co/7cJ51y2LcJpic.twitter.com/N54gyOWBRe — Eric Umansky (@ericuman) December 16, 2022

The suspension of the journalists' accounts followed Twitter's ban on the account that shared real-time updates on Elon Musk’s private jet.

The account @ElonJet was banned along with its creator Jack Sweeney's personal profile. 

Twitter account of student who tracked Elon Musk's private jet suspended

"Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not," Musk tweeted today.