Audio By Carbonatix
Elon Musk is pushing to change how news links appear on his social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, in a move that could potentially undermine the ability of news publishers to draw audience.
X is planning to remove the headline and text while retaining just the lead image from links to news articles shared on the platform, Musk said in a post late on Monday.
Fortune had first reported the news on Monday, citing a source that the move was pushed directly by Musk.
This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the esthetics.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 22, 2023
The move is likely an attempt by Musk to get users to spend more time on X and push them to opt for the subscription service for more details.
It is not immediately clear how the move will impact advertisers on the platform that Musk claimed in July had 540 million monthly users.
Currently, news links come up on the timeline of users as "cards" along with an image, source address and an abridged headline. Such packaging helps draw clicks and helps publishers gain readers.
But with the shortened links, users might end up writing some text along with their posts and eventually, they could consider X's premium service that allows a single post of up to 25,000 characters.
With the changes, Musk is pitching X as a more relevant platform for content creators. Premium subscribers can now post longer videos, their posts are shown higher up and they also receive a cut of ad sales.
Latest Stories
-
Gov’t to establish Prison Industrial Hub to equip inmates with income-generating skills – Prison Service boss
7 minutes -
Alhassan Tampuli donates cement, roofing sheets to support storm victims in Gushegu
7 minutes -
Alhassan Tampuli appeals for urgent support for storm victims in Gushegu
10 minutes -
The hypocrisy must stop; pass Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill now – Alhassan Tampuli to Mahama
14 minutes -
Imprisonment should be rehabilitative, not punitive – Ghana Prisons boss at UNGA
36 minutes -
Ga Adangbe traditional priests petition Mahama over McDan aviation licence revocation
47 minutes -
Anti-LGBTQ Bill: NDC’s arrogance is worrying – Hassan Tampuli
57 minutes -
Let’s give OSP time to mature, not to scrap it – Hassan Tampuli
1 hour -
Nigeria convicts 386 Islamist militants in mass trials
1 hour -
Djibouti president wins election with 97.8% of vote, state media saysÂ
1 hour -
We don’t have mandate to deduct tax from rent allowance of security services personnel – Interior Ministry clarifies
1 hour -
Ablakwa receives Presidential Special Envoy on Reparations to advance global agenda
2 hours -
Christina Koch becomes first woman to travel around the moon on Artemis II
2 hours -
Epstein survivors’ calls to meet King Charles and Queen harder to ignore as US visit approaches
2 hours -
UN Secretary-General names Ghana’s Anita Kiki Gbeho as South Sudan envoy
2 hours