There have been reports from users of Elon Musk’s X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, indicating that they are unable to see news links and headlines on certain posts. This change in the way media stories appear in their feed has caused confusion among X users. Instead of displaying the usual text-based headlines and links, posts now only show graphics of individual news articles, making it difficult to fully understand the content being shared.
Elon Musk confirmed earlier this month that his company was considering this change, pitching it as a way to “greatly improve the esthetics.” By removing headlines and links, Musk believes that the overall appearance and visual experience of X will be enhanced. However, this move has left many users feeling disoriented and unsure about the content they are viewing.
An X spokesperson told CNBC that they are currently investigating whether the removal of headlines and links represents a broad rollout of this feature. It remains unclear whether all X users will eventually experience the graphics-only news articles or if this change is limited to a subset of users. The lack of transparency regarding this alteration has further contributed to the confusion and frustration among X users.
Linda Yaccarino, who Musk hired as CEO of X in June, has stated that Musk oversees the company’s product and feature development, while she focuses on business and operational matters. This division of responsibilities implies that Musk has played a significant role in implementing the changes to how news articles appear on X. It is unclear whether Yaccarino supports this alteration or if she has concerns about the potential negative impact it may have on user experience.
In addition to the confusion among users, X has been fighting to win back advertisers on its platform. Linda Yaccarino has been actively working to attract advertisers, while Elon Musk is promising to transform X into an app that offers more features, including payment capabilities. The recent announcement from the Anti-Defamation League that they will resume spending on X after a temporary pause is a positive sign for the company.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recommended in November that brand advertisers pause their campaigns on X due to a wave of hateful posts. This recommendation resulted in a significant drop-off in ad revenue for the platform, leading Elon Musk to threaten a lawsuit. The ADL’s decision to resume spending indicates that they have seen improvements in X’s efforts to tackle hate speech and offensive content.
The recent changes to news links on Elon Musk’s X have left users confused and frustrated. The shift to graphics-only news articles has made it challenging to understand the content being shared. The company’s lack of transparency about the rollout of this feature further adds to the uncertainty. Additionally, X is facing the ongoing battle of regaining advertisers, with Linda Yaccarino and Elon Musk working on different aspects of this challenge. Only time will tell if these changes will ultimately improve the platform or if further adjustments are necessary to address user concerns.
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