Elon Musk, the owner of X, publicly criticized the media for their predominantly negative coverage following his conversation with former President Donald Trump on the platform. On Tuesday, Musk referred to journalists as “NPCs,” a term originating from gaming that denotes characters not directed by players, thus implying a lack of independent thought among certain media personalities.
The conversation, which lasted approximately two hours, encountered initial technical difficulties but eventually covered a variety of topics including U.S. foreign relations and the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Critics of Trump quickly expressed their disdain for both Trump’s comments and Musk’s interview approach.
Numerous articles published by major outlets reflected this negative sentiment. Among these, USA Today labeled the discourse an “unmitigated disaster,” while CNN characterized it as reminiscent of the film “Grumpy Old Men.” Other outlets, including NPR and The New York Times, also provided unfavorable critiques, suggesting that the interview lacked substantial newsworthy content or was poorly executed.
In response to the backlash, Musk took to X to comment on the media’s reaction, stating, “A wall of negative headlines was so predictable. They are such NPCs. All this does is drive even more people to listen to the conversation themselves and realize how much the legacy media lies to them!” This statement emphasizes Musk’s belief that mainstream outlets misrepresent events and engage in biased reporting.
Additionally, Musk has previously criticized the media, referring to them as engaging in an “NPC grovel fest” in reaction to favorable reports concerning Vice President Kamala Harris. The negative coverage of the Trump-Musk event, characterized largely by opinion pieces, coincided with official comments from the Harris campaign, which criticized Trump as catering to wealthy elites at the expense of the middle class.
Overall, the discussion between Musk and Trump has sparked a significant conversation surrounding media bias and the interpretation of political discourse. As Musk continues to challenge the narratives presented by traditional news outlets, the fallout from this interaction is likely to linger within public discourse as we advance towards the 2024 elections.
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