ABC currently ‘weighing up’ if it wants to remain on Twitter under Elon Musk

The ABC is reportedly considering leaving Twitter after Elon Musk takes over the reins of the social media platform – with concerns that the Tesla boss will open the doors to a plethora of hate speech, misinformation and cyberbullying.

Musk spent $44 billion last month to complete his buyout of the social media company and has promised advertisers that the platform will not turn into “a free hellscape.”

But there has already been a mass exodus of media figures and journalists.

The ABC and its journalists have considered leaving Twitter since its acquisition of Elon Musk, fearing the Tesla boss will open up the platform to a plethora of online abuse, bigotry and misinformation.

Statistics from the ABC show that Twitter is already a dangerous place for public broadcasters to seek help from its ‘social media welfare adviser’.

ABC’s annual report shows that up to June 2022, there were 76 “social media security incidents” at the ABC.

The ABC reported that Nicolle White, a social media welfare adviser, who started in the role in September 2020, had “assisted” in 94 incidents.

In those 94 cases, 48 ​​employees were at “high risk of abuse” because a story they had worked on or an incident they were involved in was trending on Twitter or mentioned in other media.

The annual report recognizes that ‘online safety, especially in the social media environment, poses a growing risk to ABC employees, talent and the public’.

The public broadcaster actively ensures online safety for employees, talent and the public through its ‘own personnel’.

There have also been more calls for another welfare adviser in the field of social media at the public broadcaster’, reports the Australian.

Musk (pictured) completed his buyout of the social media company last month and has promised advertisers the platform won’t become a “free-for-all hellscape.”

ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Miller (pictured) quit Twitter last year after being confronted by a torrent of online abuse

It comes after two high-profile ABC presenters – former 7:30 host Leigh Sales and ABC News Breakfast host Lisa Miller – left the platform amid a deluge of online abuse.

Media Watch host Paul Barry also talked about Musk’s takeover of Twitter in his program last week.

He examined the flaws in the new Twitter Blue service, Musk’s controversial past tweets, decisions to fire Twitter staff, cut back on moderation, and concerns that the platform will become a base for abuse, bigotry. and wrong information.

“It’s no big surprise that a lot of people are concerned about what the new Chief Twit will do with his toy,” Barry said.

“When Musk opens the floodgates to disinformation, fake news and hate speech, you expect journalists and media companies to say goodbye too.”

He added that the ABC is “considering whether it wants to stay on Twitter under Musk’s new world order.”

ABC’s Paul Barry (pictured) devoted part of the latest Media Watch episode to Musk’s takeover of Twitter, saying the public broadcaster was “weighing in” on whether to stay on the platform

ABC Director David Anderson shared his concerns about Twitter during questioning at Senate Estimates last week.

He explained that he was “educating all employees” about their habitual use of the platform, as many were invested in online discourse.

“With regard to all the people who are personally active on social media, especially Twitter, I think you can say I warned them all,” he said.

The rising number of social media related cases at the ABC is expected to increase costs for public service broadcasting.

The annual report revealed that insurer Comcare had increased its costs to cover the ABC from $3.3 million in the year to June 2022 to $3.8 million through June next year.

This discrepancy is due to “mental health stress” and issues, so the public broadcaster is likely to find ways to monitor police personnel’s use of social media and trolling other users, or to convince them to leave the platform altogether.