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Musk vs. Media Matters: Antisemitism allegations and an advertiser exodus

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Elon Musk faces antisemitism allegations as his platform X, formerly Twitter, bleeds advertisers following an online interaction and a report from the media watchdog group Media Matters. Musk has sued the group for defamation.

On Nov. 15, a user on X posted that Jewish communities promote “hatred against whites.” Musk replied with a controversial statement.

“You have said the actual truth,” Musk posted.

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The following day, the progressive nonprofit Media Matters published a report written by senior investigative reporter Eric Hananoki. The report contained screenshots displaying advertisements on X from major companies such as IBM, Oracle, Xfinity, Apple, and Bravo, positioned above or beneath content touting Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

IBM pulled its advertising from X, as did Comcast, Apple, Disney, and others.

Musk posted that Media Matters was attempting to “undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers.” He also responded to allegations that he’s antisemitic, writing “nothing could be further from the truth.”

“Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an attempt to silence reporting that even he confirmed is accurate,” Media Matters Chairman and President Angelo Carusone wrote in a statement.

Responding to the situation, X filed a lawsuit against Media Matters and Hananoki on Monday, Nov. 20. The complaint alleged that Media Matters “manipulated the algorithms,” selectively following accounts that post “extreme, fringe content” and those owned by big-name advertisers. The suit claimed the end result was a feed designed to place ads side-by-side with such concerning content.

Media Matters describes itself as a “progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced an investigation into Media Matters for potential fraudulent activity.

“We are examining the issue closely to ensure that the public has not been deceived by the schemes of radical left-wing organizations who would like nothing more than to limit freedom by reducing participation in the public square,” Paxton wrote in a statement.

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LONGWORTH:

ELON MUSK IS FACING ANTISEMITISM ALLEGATIONS AND HIS PLATFORM X HAS BLED ADVERTISERS FOLLOWING AN ONLINE INTERACTION AND A REPORT FROM A LIBERAL ADVOCACY GROUP. MUSK IS SUING FOR DEFAMATION.

LAST WEEK, AN X USER WROTE THAT JEWISH COMMUNITIES PROMOTE “HATRED AGAINST WHITES.” MUSK REPLIED WITH “YOU HAVE SAID THE ACTUAL TRUTH.”

THE NEXT DAY, THE PROGRESSIVE NONPROFIT MEDIA MATTERS PUBLISHED A REPORT BY ITS SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, ERIC HANANOKI. IT INCLUDES SCREENSHOTS OF ADS FOR IBM, ORACLE, XFINITY, APPLE AND BRAVO IMMEDIATELY ABOVE OR BELOW CONTENT TOUTING ADOLF HITLER AND THE NAZI PARTY.

IBM PULLED ITS ADVERTISING, AS DID COMCAST, APPLE, DISNEY, AND MORE.

MUSK POSTED THAT MEDIA MATTERS WAS ATTEMPTING TO “UNDERMINE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MISLEAD ADVERTISERS.” HE ALSO RESPONDED TO ALLEGATIONS THAT HE’S ANTISEMITIC, WRITING “NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.”

MEDIA MATTERS’ CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT, ANGELO CARUSONE, SAID IN A STATEMENT: “MUSK IS A BULLY WHO THREATENS MERITLESS LAWSUITS IN AN ATTEMPT TO SILENCE REPORTING THAT EVEN HE CONFIRMED IS ACCURATE.”

X FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NONPROFIT AND HANANOKI ON MONDAY.

THE COMPLAINT SAYS MEDIA MATTERS “MANIPULATED THE ALGORITHMS” TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN…ONLY FOLLOWING ACCOUNTS THAT POST “EXTREME, FRINGE CONTENT”  AND THOSE RUN BY BIG NAME ADVERTISERS. IN DOING SO, THE SUIT CLAIMS, THE END RESULT WAS A FEED DESIGNED TO PLACE ADS SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH SUCH CONCERNING CONTENT.

MEDIA MATTERS CHARACTERIZES ITSELF AS A “PROGRESSIVE RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTER DEDICATED TO COMPREHENSIVELY MONITORING, ANALYZING, AND CORRECTING CONSERVATIVE MISINFORMATION IN THE U.S. MEDIA.”

THE SAME DAY, TEXAS REPUBLICAN ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON ANNOUNCED HE’S INVESTIGATING MEDIA MATTERS FOR POTENTIAL FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY. WRITING, IN A STATEMENT:

“WE ARE EXAMINING THE ISSUE CLOSELY TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS NOT BEEN DECEIVED BY THE SCHEMES OF RADICAL LEFT-WING ORGANIZATIONS WHO WOULD LIKE NOTHING MORE THAN TO LIMIT FREEDOM BY REDUCING PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE.”

AS THE CONTROVERSY UNFOLDS IN BOTH LEGAL AND PUBLIC SPHERES, WE’LL CONTINUE TO REPORT ON THESE LEGAL BATTLES AND ADVERTISERS’ RELATIONSHIPS WITH X.