Don Lemon breaks silence over deal with Elon Musk. Former TV host Don Lemon has aimed at X CEO Elon Musk, accusing him of neglecting his responsibility to address hate speech on the platform.
Lemon’s criticism comes after his first-ever interview with Musk, which is scheduled to air on March 18.
Don Lemon breaks silence:
In the interview, Lemon questioned Musk about the prevalence of hate speech on X and whether the CEO feels accountable for moderating it. Musk’s response, characterized by defiance and indifference, has sparked controversy.
Musk’s Response:
Musk’s response to Lemon’s inquiries was assertive, stating that he was not obliged to answer questions from reporters and only agreed to the interview because Lemon requested it on the X platform.
Musk’s apparent nonchalance towards criticism has drawn further scrutiny.
The 52-year-old Musk replied: “I don’t have to answer this question. I don’t have to answer questions from reporters. Don the only reason I am doing this interview is because you are on the X platform and you asked for it. Otherwise, I would not do this interview.”
Lemon’s Assessment:
Lemon, referencing clips from the interview, lambasted Musk for what he perceives as a lack of accountability.
Lemon criticized Musk’s disregard for facts and his propensity to share offensive content, which violates X’s own rules.
Despite Musk’s claims that such content is not amplified, Lemon argues that its mere presence on the platform is problematic.
While speaking to CNN, Lemon, with reference to his interview clip said: “As for someone [Musk] who has one of the largest platforms in the world, I think it is 400 and 500m users a week and it does not seem that he has any responsibility with that because he seemed really averse to facts.”
“That facts did not matter to him. It did not matter that he retweeted things that were offensive to people.”
The journalist added: “Because the things I asked him about were not supposed to be on his platform according to his own rules, his own content rules. They were supposed to be removed from the platform.”
“He says well we don’t amplify them. But it does not matter. They are there. They are in the public forum and people can find them.”
Contract Termination:
In a surprising turn of events, Lemon revealed that Musk terminated his contract for a new show on X shortly after their interview. This development has raised questions about the timing and motivation behind the decision.
Also read: Elon Musk loses $40 billion in 2024 — will he no longer be billionaire?
As Don Lemon breaks silence over deal with Elon Musk, Lemon’s critique of Musk underscores broader concerns about the role of social media platforms in combating hate speech and misinformation.
As the interview with Musk garners attention, the debate over platform responsibility and accountability continues to intensify.
