CBS News made a big production out of its silly protest of billionaire Elon Musk’s shakeup at Twitter, citing “security concerns” as a reason for pausing its posting on the social media giant but suddenly reversed course within 48 hours, a flip-flop that magnified the public relations blunder.
“In light of the uncertainty around Twitter, and out of an abundance of caution, CBS News is pausing its activity on the social media site as it continues to monitor the platform,” the network’s national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti announced on Friday’s edition of “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell.”
However, after it became apparent that nobody cared, CBS reversed course, returning to the platform on Sunday morning. “After pausing for much of the weekend to assess the security concerns, CBS News and Stations is resuming its activity on Twitter as we continue to monitor the situation,” tweeted the network’s communications team.
After pausing for much of the weekend to assess the security concerns, CBS News and Stations is resuming its activity on Twitter as we continue to monitor the situation.
— CBS News PR (@CBSNewsPress) November 20, 2022
As could be expected, CBS was ridiculed for its failed attempt at virtue signaling over Musk’s moves with many taking to Twitter to comment on the network’s sudden change of heart about security, including talk radio host Megyn Kelly.
“Or maybe that was just a virtue-signal &, like most pathetic wokesters, they don’t practice what they preach,” Kelly wrote.
Or maybe that was just a virtue-signal &, like most pathetic wokesters, they don’t practice what they preach. https://t.co/1w9ffoVtvk
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) November 20, 2022
In another tweet, the former Fox News anchor wrote, “Is this a joke? CBS News – former home to Mike Wallace and Ed Bradley – is afraid of … Twitter?”
Is this a joke? CBS News – former home to Mike Wallace and Ed Bradley – is afraid of … Twitter? https://t.co/RaX5gPahoH
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) November 20, 2022
Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter and subsequent firing of top management as well as offloading thousands of “woke” employees has infuriated Democrats, their media mouthpieces, and rank and file left-wingers who have wailed in rage, mounted pressure campaigns against corporations to pull their advertising and threatened the SpaceX/Tesla CEO with federal government punishment as Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey recently did.
But none of their whining and bullying has deterred Musk who continues to weed out unproductive disgruntled employees, dialing down the censorship and restoring banned accounts, including that of former President Donald J. Trump who announced his 2024 candidacy last week.
Musk took great delight in the CBS News climbdown, trolling the network over its brief tantrum with a meme from the gay cowboy movie, “Brokeback Mountain.”
“Our love will never die,” he wrote.
Our love will never die pic.twitter.com/y5SldfAAt0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2022
In addition to Kelly, others took to the platform to mock CBS News including Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, who wrote, “CBS News has decided it’s once again safe to use Twitter – but only for the moment!”
“They are continuing to ‘assess security concerns’ and ‘monitor the situation,'” he wrote. “If there are more outbreaks of free speech or hearing from people journalists dislike, they may retreat again.”
CBS News has decided it's once again safe to use Twitter – but only for the moment!
They are continuing to "assess security concerns" and "monitor the situation."
If there are more outbreaks of free speech or hearing from people journalists dislike, they may retreat again. https://t.co/o0ZtgFshCk
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 20, 2022
More reactions to the network’s embarrassing reversal:
Well, it was nice to get a break from your misinformation for a couple of days
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) November 21, 2022
Clowns https://t.co/h8w6v0KJZV
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) November 20, 2022
CBS tried to rage-quit Twitter for attention but have predictably come crawling back https://t.co/jC7qqGqeUw
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) November 21, 2022
OK…CBS News P/R…I can’t believe anyone believes this tweet from you below….you tweet you were assessing some security concerns? Or were you really checking which way the wind was blowing? https://t.co/c323z791wH
— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) November 20, 2022
After less than two full days of a contrived boycott, @CBSNews resumed posting on #Twitter. Given its low engagement, hardly anyone will notice. CBS may have 10 times the followers I have, but I have ten times the engagement. CBS Twitter followers are fake, just like the network.
— Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) November 21, 2022
This is a pathetic tweet — even for the corporate press.
"We quit Twitter for a day in protest but realized we need social media to reach an audience under 66 (CBS's demo). So, now we are back but still 'monitoring the situation."' https://t.co/hceShJQcaU
— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) November 21, 2022
So basically your analysts explained how leaving would destroy your traffic and revenue, so you reversed course.
Got it.
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) November 21, 2022
The mainstream media just can’t help itself and has become a parody of the news industry.
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