The previous CNN anchor Don Lemon introduced on Wednesday that Elon Musk had abruptly terminated a deal to solely host Lemon’s new talkshow on X, previously Twitter. Lemon stated in a submit on the platform that Musk cancelled the partnership hours after the 2 of them had filmed an interview, which was set to be a part of the show’s debut episode. Lemon stated Musk texted him, “contract terminated”.
“His dedication to a world city sq. the place all questions might be requested and all concepts might be shared appears to not embody questions of him from folks like me,” Lemon stated within the submit.
Musk didn’t deny axing Lemon’s show. The billionaire tweeted, “His method was principally simply ‘CNN, however on social media’,’ which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the truth that CNN is dying. And, as an alternative of it being the actual Don Lemon, it was actually simply Jeff Zucker speaking by means of Don, so lacked authenticity. All this stated, Lemon/Zucker are after all welcome to construct their viewership on this platform together with everybody else.” Musk has beforehand referred to as himself a “free speech absolutist”.
Lemon said in his Wednesday submit that he would nonetheless air the interview with Musk on YouTube and on X, and included the side-eye emoji.
“Whereas Elon goes again on his phrase, I can be doubling down on my dedication to free speech,” Lemon said.
Musk’s firm first announced the talkshow deal with Lemon in January, as X sought to enterprise extra into video content material and lure big-name hosts to the platform. The Don Lemon Show was set to air three 30-minute episodes every week. Lemon was one in all CNN’s marquee stars earlier than the network fired him in a shock flip final April, following his inner disputes with different workers and a failed run as morning show host.
When Lemon introduced his departure from CNN in a submit on X, Musk requested in a reply whether or not the host would think about doing his show on the platform and claimed that the “viewers is greater” than CNN. Musk has equally hosted the previous Fox Information host Tucker Carlson’s show on the platform after the community fired Carlson final 12 months.
“Elon publicly inspired me to hitch X with a brand new show, saying I’d have his ‘full assist’, and that his ‘digital city sq. is for all’,” Lemon stated on Wednesday. “I took Elon and his administration crew’s phrase that they, for the primary time, had been all in favour of working instantly with new and various voices.”
Musk has struggled to draw main expertise to X, as he has tried to pivot the platform towards video content material and get influencers reminiscent of the favored YouTuber Mr Beast to add their materials. Musk additionally introduced final week that the corporate was launching a long-form video streaming app that can be obtainable on sensible televisions.
Musk branching X out to video content material is one in all a number of methods the platform is trying to recoup dwindling promoting revenues. A string of main corporations stopped advertising on the platform within the months following Musk’s takeover, as researchers documented a rise in extremist content on X together with racism and antisemitism.
Elon Musk abruptly cancels Don Lemon’s X talk show hours after interview | X www.theguardian.com 2024-03-13 22:01:30
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