A News Era

Shortly after initiating the acquisition of Twitter in 2022, Elon Musk posted, “For Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral, which effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally.”

Today much of the public trust Musk aspired to earn has eroded. His actions since acquiring the platform, now rebranded as X, have increasingly contradicted his early proclamations of neutrality. Musk’s strong embrace – to put it lightly – of Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election stands as a glaring departure from his promise to remain politically neutral.

X itself has undergone a transformation alienating many users. Musk fired the majority of the Trust & Safety team, reinstated accounts previously banned for promoting hate speech—including neo-Nazi profiles—and reconfigured algorithms to favor content aligning with his own ideological leanings. This shift has turned X into a space where extremism and division are the norm.

Disillusioned users have responded by departing to alternative platforms like BlueSky and Threads, which are the leading beneficiaries of Musk’s controversial stewardship. Both platforms reported a surge in new users following the 2024 elections. Journalist Nick Halter of Axios Twin Cities noted several Twin Cities reporters—some with over 100,000 followers—who’ve abandoned X for these alternatives.

These platforms come with their own limitations as it relates to news:  

Do they adhere to fundamental journalistic standards? No.
Do they implement robust user verification to ensure accountability? No.
Do they compensate journalists? Again, no.
Do their algorithms even prioritize news content? For Meta’s Threads, the answer is a resounding no.

These platforms are fundamentally no different from X. Their distinction lies primarily in not being owned by Musk, but this alone doesn’t make them better suited for journalistic or community engagement. Twitter, BlueSky, Threads, et al are destructive disinformation machines masquerading as “social” networks amplifying division, loneliness and eroding the fabric of informed civic discourse.

Let’s be clear: these platforms were never designed to serve as reliable news sources. Continuing to treat them as such risks further damaging the already fragile state of journalism. We risk seeing an increase in news deserts, the decline of credible news outlets and an overall gutting of America’s media ecosystem.

The crisis in journalism is real, and it’s urgent.

In Minnesota, for instance, the media landscape has been shrinking at an alarming rate. Since 2005, we’ve lost 34% of our local newspapers and 64% of our local journalists. Newsrooms are being forced to do more with fewer resources. Consider The Pioneer Press: when Alden Global Capital acquired the paper in 2006, its newsroom employed around 200 people. By late 2023, that number had dwindled to just 29, according to a report from Racket.

This decline in local journalism is fueled by the rise of social media platforms where over half of Americans now get at least some of their news. Among adults under 30, trust in information from social media (52%) is almost on par with trust in national news organizations (56%), according to a Pew Research study from October 2024.

But as I’ve emphasized: these platforms weren’t built to be trusted sources of news, nor will they be. 

Rather than trying to retrofit platforms like BlueSky or Threads to serve as news hubs, it’s time we rethink the entire model. What would a platform designed specifically for local news look like?

At a minimum, such a platform would need the following features:

1. User Verification: Accounts should be verified to ensure accountability and trust.
2. Reserved Posting Rights: Only credible community leaders—such as local businesses and journalists—should have the ability to build an audience, preventing the platform from devolving into petty disputes.
3. Chronological Feeds: Algorithms distorting perceptions and amplifying ideologies should be replaced with straightforward chronological feeds to ensure timely information.
4. Compensation for Journalists: Just as Big Tech platforms compensate content creators, journalists should be fairly compensated for their reporting.

Creating such a platform from scratch is undoubtedly a challenge, but it’s also necessary. In the Twin Cities, one such initiative already exists: Ambit Media Company.

Launched in October 2024, Ambit is a tech startup designed to support local journalism and strengthen community ties. Despite being new, Ambit has been met with enthusiasm. In its first official month, the platform hosted nearly 1,000 visitors, 65% of whom were returning users—evidence of real, authentic community.

Ambit users utilize the site to discover and support over 130 verified local businesses. Tools like the Pop-Up Map highlight neighborhood vendors, such as Mogi Bagel, recently named Best Bagel in Star Tribune’s Best of Minnesota competition. Other features, like the Grand Opening Registry and Events Calendar, connect residents with new establishments and local events.

At its core, Ambit’s mission is to support local journalism by compensating news organizations based on user input. This innovative model empowers journalists while encouraging user-focused reporting. I’m honored to share that the Community Reporter, along with 8 other local news organizations, have partnered with Ambit Media Company on our mission. 

As Ambit continues to grow, it poses an opportunity to revitalize local news—not only by directly compensating newsrooms, but also indirectly pressuring Big Tech to compete for journalists and their followers. 

Let’s seize this opportunity to support a positive, more informed, connected future and put this era of toxic social media behind us. 

The groundwork for a better alternative is already in place. The question now is: will you use it? 

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Prior to starting Ambit Media Company, Chuck was a Manager in Deloitte’s Data & Digital Trust practice advising the Big Tech industry through the dynamic internet regulatory landscape to create safer digital experiences for users. Learn more about Ambit at www.Ambit.community.