In a string of perplexing decisions since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter last October, the removal of headlines stands out as one of the most baffling. The move appears to be a targeted stance against news organizations and an odd approach to engage the platform’s dwindling user base.
Elon Musk had initially hinted at this change back in August, and it’s now in full effect. Previously, shared links on Twitter displayed a headline, a brief summary, and a featured image. However, now, links only showcase the image, and the outlet’s name is presented in small font. This revision not only retroactively erases crucial information from existing tweets (which cannot be edited) but also necessitates users to manually input the headline into their post. While this may seem straightforward, it relies on a presumption of good faith, which isn’t always a given on Twitter.
Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, a journalism professor at Cardiff University, noted that while Musk framed this as an aesthetic choice, it’s part of a broader trend making Twitter/X more challenging for news organizations. This modification is anticipated to significantly impact click-through rates, as users will no longer have the vital context to grasp the content behind links.
Elon Musk also responded to criticism about this alteration, dismissing objections and somewhat surprisingly insinuating that dissenters are merely followers of mainstream media.
In the wake of this significant shift in Twitter’s digital framework, users responded with humor, creating memes that played on the absence of headlines. The removal of headlines offered an opportunity for jesters to craft alternative histories, often featuring Elon Musk as the central figure. The resulting jokes ranged from the absurd to the outright hilarious, showcasing Twitter’s knack for turning any situation into meme-worthy material.