X Marks The Spot To Get Off Twitter

THE LEDE

You’ve read by now that Elon Musk has rebranded Twitter, somewhat impetuously, as “X.” He took one of the most recognized brands in social media and crossed it out of existence. Now, that’s his right. It’s his company and he can call it whatever he likes, even if that means illegally (and temporarily) trying to change the signage outside company offices without regard for the safety of neighbors or passers-by.

I have called before for the news media to get off Twitter (I mean “X,” but we’re going to stick with Twitter for this story). But this should be the final straw. The company says we’re no longer to call a posts “tweets,” suggesting instead we use the term “X’s.” I can’t wait to hear the first person say they are going to “X” a post. This is impetuous nonsense, and it has an impact on what we do.

Many TV broadcasts have lower thirds with the person’s Twitter handle and a picture of the bird. Do we now replace all the graphics with an ugly black circle with a white X inside? Anchors will have to say “You can find me on X, be sure to X me!”

Hard. Pass.

The rebranding alone isn’t, itself, a reason to quit Twitter. Being associated with an awful non-brand, where your serious content is placed aside that of racists, bigots and made-up news sure is. Think of all the time that goes into your brand. Think of how much you pay for research so that your brand is perceived as responsible and trustworthy. Twitter treats that the same as a bunch of harmful nonsense. Is that the company you want to keep?

Supporting Twitter (or X or whatever it will be next week) says something about who you are. In this case, you are supporting a cesspool of hate and misinformation. Suppose Twitter’s content was a TV show - would you run it on your channel?

Twitter was never a significant driver of traffic to media websites, typically accounting for less than 2% of traffic. Dropping it won’t hurt your audience numbers.

People still trust local news. A Knight Foundation study published in 2022 found that Americans hold local news in higher regard than national news:

“Compared with other sources of local information, Americans (say) local news does the best job of keeping them informed, holding leaders accountable and amplifying stories in their communities versus social media, community-based apps and word of mouth.”

The trust in local news is largely even between Democrats and Republicans, unlike their suspicions about national and cable news. We’ve found something both sides agree on — local news is important and responsible. Let’s keep that trend going by publishing local news content only on responsible platforms.

X out the rest.

NEWS AND NOTES

ADAM CURRY’S NEW PODCAST SHARES MONEY WITH MUSICIANS: Adam Curry, the one-time MTV host, was such an early adopter of podcasting that he is now known as “The Podfather.” And he’s innovating once again. Curry is launching a new podcast called “Boostagram Ball,” which features full-length songs from artists who give consent to using their music. In exchange, those musicians receive 90% of the money the show draws from subscribers and contributors.

AI SONGS FLOODING YOUTUBE: Songs produced using AI are all over YouTube, their numbers exploding in just the last few months. They’re still largely pet projects by enthusiasts, and they give us a glimpse of what music production may become. Search “AI Beatles” and you’ll hear John Lennon singing songs he never recorded, like ELO’s “Easy Money.” As a Beatles fan, I have to say - not bad. Nobody will ever be John Lennon, but hearing his “voice” again is really something. I’ll save the ethics lecture about AI music for another time. (Abridged Version: People should be paid for the use of their voice.) For now, listen to the uncanny AI voice of Frank Sinatra singing Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.”

PETER GABRIEL RELEASING NEW ALBUM ONE SONG AT A TIME: (Disclosure: I am a ridiculous, near-obsessive Peter Gabriel fanboy.) Peter Gabriel’s long-awaited new studio album, i/o, is slated to come out at the end of the year. But, since January, he has been releasing songs once a month. What’s more, he releases two-three mixes of each song. Gabriel is currently on tour, and is rolling out the songs live as well. 

Thanks to streaming, there’s little money to be made selling albums. By putting out a song a month, he’s essentially advertising a reason to see his current tour (and buy the merch therein). His song “Olive Tree” came out on August 1st and has an uptempo, almost ‘80s-sounding chorus. My personal favorite so far is the fun, funky “Road to Joy (Dark-Side Mix).”

BEYOND THE REMOTE

This marks the 50th installment of Remote Notes, which launched on April 27, 2022. I want to thank all of you for reading the newsletter and visiting the website. When I started Remote Notes, it had a strong focus on podcasting. It has evolved according to your feedback. I’m still open to suggestions about what we cover.

A special thanks to RN’s paid subscribers. Your $30 helps me promote this on Facebook and other social media. We have built an audience of 500-600 reads per newsletter, well beyond my initial expectations.

For those who read this on LinkedIn - thank you. If you feel like subscribing to this newsletter, please visit remotenotes.substack.com.

Remote Notes would not be nearly as legible without my editor, John Cockrell. John does the job voluntarily. He’s an amazing writer/producer with great TV chops, and his support has been instrumental. Thanks, Jawnny. You’re a can of corn.

REMOTE NOTES

Newsletter #50!

Founder/Writer: Steve Safran

Editor: John Cockrell

Copyright 2023

-30-