John Stoll, the newly appointed head of news at X, Elon Musk’s social platform, made an appearance in the White House press briefing room, signaling the platform’s increasing influence. X has become a go-to source for administration information, with government agencies creating X accounts for seeking tips about federal waste and fraud.
Despite X’s struggles to meet revenue and advertising goals, its visibility under the Trump administration has increased, with major advertisers returning. Mr. Musk has used X as a platform to draw attention to his cost-cutting initiatives, positioning the platform as a powerful government mouthpiece. Following Mr. Musk’s acquisition of X in 2022, the company faced challenges, including revenue underperformance and advertising concerns.
However, in a deal announced in March, X was valued at $33 billion and connected to Mr. Musk’s artificial intelligence start-up xAI, valued at $80 billion. Mr. Musk has positioned X as a new media outlet, urging users to become citizen journalists on the platform. He has also used X as a way to engage with the public on government efficiency issues, responding directly to complaints and marking concerns as “fixed.”
Conservatives have found X to be a direct pipeline to influence federal policy, with users able to interact with Mr. Musk on the platform. The platform’s increased visibility and influence in government and media have raised concerns about X becoming a government media outlet without constraints. The creation of a head of news position at X and partnerships with media companies underscore the platform’s role in shaping public discourse and government interactions.
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