At the National Press Club's Fourth Estate Gala, Jim VandeHei, the CEO of Axios, vehemently criticized Elon Musk, the owner of X, for his comments on the changing landscape of journalism.
Musk had previously suggested that the power of media has shifted from traditional journalism to the hands of the public, a claim that VandeHei dismissed as "bullsh*t."
According to The Post Millennial, VandeHei expressed his frustration, stating, "Elon Musk sits on Twitter every dayor X todaysaying, like, 'we are the media. You are the media.' My message to Elon Musk is bullsh*t. Youre not the media." His comments were in response to Musk's assertion that the public has become the new media, a claim that Musk made following the 2024 presidential election.
VandeHei further argued that possessing a verified Twitter account and the ability to craft witty posts does not equate to being a journalist. He said, "you having a blue checkmark, a Twitter handle, and 300 words of cleverness doesnt make you a reporter. You dont do that by popping off on Twitter. You dont do that by having an opinion, you do it by doing the hard work."
Musk's original statement on X read, "The reality of this election was plain to see on X, while most legacy media lied relentlessly to the public. You are the media now. Please post your thoughts & observations on X, correct others when wrong and we will have at least one place in the world where you can come to find the truth."
VandeHei's remarks were well-received by the hosts and guests of MSNBC's Morning Joe, including host Joe Scarborough. Despite recent controversy surrounding his meeting with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Scarborough echoed VandeHei's sentiments, emphasizing the importance of the work done by numerous media outlets. This incident underscores the ongoing debate about the role of traditional journalism in an era increasingly dominated by social media and citizen journalism.
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