Author: bestmedeal

Friday night reported de Volkskrant that behind the scenes The world goeson a culture of fear prevailed. Dozens of employees fell ill. For nine years,NPO director Frans Klein was closely involved on behalf of broadcaster Vara inthe rise of DWDD , but he did not intervene after reports. Nor are hissuccessors. Klein: “I never thought: there is an abuse here.”

“The public broadcaster, including BNNVara, must guarantee a safe workplace.For everyone,” said Secretary of State Uslu on Saturday afternoon in responseto the article. “It is terrible that people had to work in these conditions.It touches me that employees have felt so unsafe and have been treated verybadly. This is not how a workplace should be. Not even when people are underhigh pressure.”

According to the minister, success is never an excuse for unacceptablebehaviour. “I have asked the chairman of the NPO to thoroughly investigatewhat happened here. I want an action plan with concrete steps to prevent thisin the future and to change this behavior.”

No excuses

Even in work situations where the pressure is high, the environment should notlook away, but people should address each other, reports Mariëtte Hamer. ThePvdA celebrity is currently the government commissioner for sexuallytransgressive behavior and sexual violence.

Hamer recognizes in it Volkskrant article many of the mechanisms that alsoapply to sexually transgressive behavior, she says. And she sees an importantrole for the employer, in this case the public broadcaster, in tacklingabuses; which is financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

“I recognize that for people on temporary contracts, who love their job andwho work in a competitive culture, that is very difficult. That is why it isespecially important that the employer provides protection in this type ofworking environment,” says the government commissioner about publicbroadcasting. “Once again it shows how important it is that there is a goodreporting structure, and that something actually happens with reports.”

Good employership

There are also voices from various political parties that it is important thatpublic service broadcasters show good employment practices in this area. CDAMember of Parliament and former presenter Lucille Werner finds it’disconcerting’ that things could go so wrong with this show.

“Employees should always feel protected by colleagues and employer. It’sdistressing that so many people in the workplace of DWDD have not felt thisand have been harmed. Bad. Because things can be done differently, I knowbecause I myself have worked in the sector for 25 years.”

The PVV is going hard towards the responsible top man, Frans Klein. “Thesocialist Vara talks about how idealistic they are. In the meantime, they gaveVan Nieuwkerk an insane mega salary and director Frans Klein allowed him toterrorize young editors for fifteen years,” says Member of Parliament MartinBosma (PVV). According to Bosma, Klein must ‘absolutely’ resign after therevelations about it DWDD.

NPO and broadcasters will soon come up with an action plan for a safeworking environment

The NPO will draw up an action plan ‘in the short term’ together with allbroadcasters ‘to ensure that there is a safe working environment for allemployees of the public broadcaster at all times,’ said NPO chairmanFrederieke Leeflang on Saturday.

She made this known after a discussion about this with Secretary of StateGunay Uslu (Media).

“At the public broadcasters, we are all extremely shocked by the large numberof employees who have had negative and fearful experiences while working withthe program DWDD ,” says Lifelong. “This should never have happened.Saturday morning I talked about this with Secretary of State Gunay Uslu and weboth came to the conclusion that we need to find out quickly and thoroughlywhat exactly happened here and what we can do as a public broadcaster toprevent such things in the future.”

The goal is to come up with ‘concrete actions’. “First of all, we do this forall employees of the public broadcaster; everyone who works in front of andbehind the scenes on our programs. We also want to understand what exactlyhappened at DWDD so that we can learn from this for the future.”

On the folding chair: singer Jeangu Macrooy (1993). His new album was releasedlast week Summer Moon. An interview based on keywords: about his return tosoul, deviating from the monogamous norm and the pain of the Eurovisionbroccoli.

Stefan RaatgeverNovember 19, 202203:00

Paramaribo

“The first thing I think about is my family. My mother, father and aunts allstill live there. When I think of Suriname, I immediately see us eatingtogether. I was 20 when I left for the Netherlands. Every time I go back, thefeeling of home overwhelms me as soon as I step off the plane.”

“What I miss most is the relaxation. Life here in the Netherlands goes sofast. In Suriname it was normal to sleep for two hours after school. I wouldalso like to introduce that here.”

“Would I ever want to go back? Certainly not now, but maybe when I want toslow down a bit later in life. Then I could give something back in the fieldof art and education. I would like to help young people make their dreams cometrue. Because there is so much talent in Suriname, but not everyone gets thechance to develop it.”

Between Towers

“My first tire. Made up of my twin brother Xillan and me. A school friend cameup with the name when she walked between us and – we are both quite tall –looked up. Xillan and I discovered our passion for music at the same time, wegot our first guitar at the same time and had singing lessons together.”

“When we were 15 we wrote our first song together. ‘Well, then we’reofficially a duo now,’ we decided. We made an album and did quite a few gigs,but when I left for the Netherlands the band fell apart.”

“Of course Xillan didn’t like that very much, but after two years he also cameto the Netherlands and we were together again. He sang in my backing choiruntil this summer, but now focuses on his own music. And that is great.”

Hengelo

“My first place to live in the Netherlands! I had no idea what the country waslike. I was accepted at the Conservatory of Enschede, but really had the planto travel back and forth from Amsterdam every day. Fortunately, that wasquickly talked out of my mind. In Hengelo I was able to get a room withdistant relatives. Actually, I didn’t really live on my own yet. The laundrywas done and cooking was done. I had a wonderful time. I think Hengelo was agood choice. From quiet Paramaribo to Amsterdam would probably have been toomuch of a shock. And now it was a bit easier to keep my focus on my studies.”

Back to the roots

“That’s how you can describe my new album, yes. Summer Moon has become asoulful record. It actually happened naturally. I grew up with soul music andwith my voice you quickly get to the soul side. It felt nice to find that coreagain.”

“In the summer of 2021, for the first time in two years, my life no longerrevolved around the Eurovision Song Contest. It had been an intense period. Idon’t regret it, but I wouldn’t advise anyone to participate two years in arow.”

“There were still hardly any festival performances due to corona and Icertainly had no intention of writing new music, so it seemed to be a quietsummer. But it happened naturally. Summer Moon was the first song that cameinto existence, made together with my former fellow student Bud Kolk. Thatsounded so fresh that he also became producer of the album.”

World star

“I expressed that as an ambition, that’s right. I said that one day I wouldlike to fill stadiums like Beyoncé. My manager Pieter even predicted in 2019that this would be possible within five years. Well, then we have until 2024.”

“But I wouldn’t formulate such an intention like that now. I notice a changein myself. Not that I wouldn’t want to be successful on a global levelanymore, but setting those kinds of goals is mainly about the commercial side.I now want to work from the inside out more. How can I grow as an artist insuch a way that it gives me a large audience? The idea that I have yet to makemy best song is what drives me now.”

Monogamy

“One of the themes on the album. My first record High on You was full oflove. I was 22 and I got to know love. Now I know: the real work starts later.I have recently discovered for myself that monogamy is not an essentialcondition for a loving relationship. It is often thought that there are twooptions: monogamy or complete chaos. But I think there is also a nice middleground where you allow each other freedom, but remain respectful.”

“I know: monogamy is the norm. But cheating is something very different froman open relationship. It’s about being honest with each other. You can be verymuch in love with someone, but that doesn’t make you blind to the beauty ofothers, in my experience. Whether it works? For me so far, yes. But loveremains a quest. But that’s not a bad thing.”

Jordan

“I have lived here for a year now. Sebas and I are very happy. From the windowI can see the Westertoren where I once had my very first date. The city isincreasingly becoming part of my story.”

“The Westerdok, where we first sat, was super quiet, the tourists apparentlycouldn’t find that corner. Now we really have a dream place, in the middle ofthe city. Every week we go to a theater, concert hall or cinema at least once.We can walk everything, we don’t have a car or even bicycles. If we have to gofar away, we take the tram or train.”

Eurovision Song Contest

“Brought me a lot. I learned a lot and was able to increase my fame. Whereelse do you get the opportunity to be on such a big stage and see how aproduction works at that level? And I have received wonderful responses.Still, by the way. People who have Caribbean roots themselves really feltheard Birth of a New Age. ”

“But there were also downsides. I found it difficult that the message of mysong was also ridiculed. I still occasionally get “broccoli, broccoli” yelledat me on the street. Apparently many people didn’t want to muster the energyto understand why I read that line of text in Sranantongo ( Yu no man brokomi means ‘You can’t break me’) into my song.”

“That hurt me. It makes me feel ‘that other’ again for the first time in ages.The Netherlands has only recently started working on its colonial history, butapparently this was still too early in the process.”

23rd

“I was a bit surprised how much people value such a ranking. For me, thefeeling after the final was: ‘I participated, gave everything and now I’mmoving on’, but people apparently think very much in terms of winners andlosers. I didn’t feel like a loser at all, I was proud of what we put up.Sure, you also have to ask yourself why the performance didn’t catch on withthe general public, but I didn’t see that 23rd place as a value judgment aboutme as an artist.”

Cassette tape

“As a little boy I listened to nothing but cassette tapes. The entire oeuvreof Sesame Street came over and over again. And my mom had Whitney Houston,Celine Dion and Cher standing up in the car.”

“We had a hundred cassette tapes made of the new album. In an earlier plan wealso wanted to offer a real Walkman. Didn’t go through though. The sound ofsuch a walkman of 20 euros is simply not good enough. But I am happy that myalbum can now also be listened to in this way.”

“And I’m not the only one releasing cassette tapes again, am I? The latestalbums by Taylor Swift and Harry Styles are also back on cassette.”

Celebrity Master Chef

“I’m out! Making macarons, at the same time as a parfait, turned out to be myend. ‘Below par’, the jury found. With that patisserie you have to be veryprecise, the sugar at the right temperature, work very precisely. Andeverything in a very short time.”

“I really love eating together and I can cook quite well, but the level wasreally high. Freddy from the Youth of Today, for example, is really very good.Entering that cooking contest on Viaplay is the most stressful thing I’ve everdone. The Eurovision Song Contest is one walk in the park compared to that

Partly due to his “extreme rages” Matthijs van Nieuwkerk helped The worldgoes on for a culture of fear that made many employees sick. This writes deVolkskrant Saturday in a long reconstruction for which the newspaper spoke toseventy former employees. More than fifty of them endorse the presenter’sconclusion of ‘structural transgressive behaviour’. As a result, severalsuffered a burnout, anxiety attacks, or other serious psychologicalcomplaints, in some cases lasting.

According to de Volkskrant, the complaints about the abuses at the talk show,which was on television from 2005 to 2020, were long known to the managementof broadcaster BNNVARA, but they did not intervene because the daily TVprogram was so successful. The ‘hard’ editorial culture simply belonged to thehigh level, according to Frans Klein, the then broadcasting director who isnow TV director of the entire public broadcaster. Most editors, officially theexecutives for the program, did not intervene either, or were themselvesguilty of misconduct, such as Dieuwke Wynia, as the reconstruction shows.

Comments

Van Nieuwkerk did not want to cooperate with the article, but did stipulatewith de Volkskrant that he could post a reaction next to it by way ofrebuttal. In it he writes: “I am very sorry that we have apparently not beenable to give everyone a safe and pleasant feeling and that it has even madecolleagues sick.” But: “At the same time, this article is also a draconiancaricature of fifteen years of DWDD. […] I am now conveniently folded backinto an Eternal Tantrum. And I didn’t think that was me.” He also praises his“daily program full of zest for life, optimism and imagination.”

Broadcaster BNNVARA, that DWDD produced, says in a response that themanagement has had discussions with former editors. “A number of (former)colleagues indicate in no uncertain terms that their boundaries have beencrossed. We are shocked by that and it is very dear to us.” BNNVARAacknowledges that the pressure to perform was high within the editorial staffof the program and that the response was not timely. “The editors andpresenter should have been called to account for their behavior. The fact thatthis did not happen at the time is painful for the (former) colleagues who areaffected.”

State Secretary Gunay Uslu (Culture and Media, D66) said in a response that“the described behavior is unacceptable in all situations”. And success isnever an excuse for unacceptable behavior. Uslu states that publicbroadcasting must guarantee a safe workplace, which is why she has asked NPOchairman Frederieke Leeflang to conduct an investigation. She also wants anaction plan “with concrete steps to prevent this in the future and to changethis behavior”.

Thomas Bruning, secretary of the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ), saysto ANP news agency that “temporary and mediocre freelance contracts” were thebasis for not daring to report abuses. According to Bruning, the troubles atDWDD are an example of the unsafe work culture that prevails in Hilversum.

The succes

The success of DWDD made Van Nieuwkerk (Amsterdam, 1960) one of Hilversum’smost important TV makers. Before he came to television, he was editor-in-chiefof the Amsterdam newspaper The parole. He now makes the music programs_Chansons! , _Top 2000 à Go-Go and the Saturday night show MatthijsContinues. In response to the news, broadcaster NTR has decided to cancel therecordings of Saturday night’s Top 2000 Quiz.

The Volkskrant article about the culture of fear contrasts with the manypraises that have appeared in the press about DWDD so far. The program paid alot of attention to culture and could give artists or TV makers an importantboost. Former TV critic for NRC Arjen Fortuin called DWDD: “one of themonuments of Dutch TV history, and by far the most influential program of thetwenty-first century.” According to him, the success lay largely with VanNieuwkerk: “The program is unthinkable without his ambition to get the mostout of every broadcast day, his journalistic instinct, the ability to presentat a killer pace, and his desire to admire.”

That misconduct and abuse of power, such as that at DWDD, is seen asnewsworthy ‘transgressive behaviour’, is fairly recent. Since the MeToomovement, sexual misconduct has become more exposed, and in its wake otherforms of workplace misconduct. Earlier, for example, publisher Mai Spijkerswas discredited because of this. Actress Maryam Hassouni recently published arevealing book about racism, sexism, and transgressive behavior in thetelevision and film industry.

Lo que no cambia es el poder de sus mayores. El sistema de la selection ticaes, por encima de todo, la gerontocracia. Ocho años después de tocar cima conlos cuartos de final de Brasil 2014 (derrotó a Italia y Uruguay, y no cayóhasta la tanda de penaltis ante Países Bajos), ahí siguen Keylor Navas bajopalos (35 años), Óscar Duarte (33) en defensa, Yeltsin Tejada (30) y CelsoBorges (34) en el medio, Joel Campbell (30) arriba y Bryan Ruiz (37) como finoestilista,además del lateral Bryan Oviedo (32), que solo se perdió aquellacita por una lesion. Y la realidad es que no viajan a Qatar por deferencia nirespeto a las canas, sino como protagonistas principales del conjunto contrael que debutará España (miércoles 23 de noviembre, 5 p.m.; Movistar). A lamayoría de ellos se les espera en el once titular.

Inglaterra aterrizó el martes en Doha en un Airbus A350 llamado Rain Bow(arcoíris), decorado con un dibujo de Oscar, el personaje que Virgin Atlantictiene como icono LGTBI, calzado con unas zapatillas con los colores de labandera del colectivo. La federación inglesa explicó que no habían pedido eseaparato en particular, pero que no les había disgustado el vuelo.

Una de las causas que quieren mostrar en Qatar es la de los derechos de loshomosexuales, perseguidos por las leyes del país organizador. Su capitán,Harry Kane, lucirá un brazalete de la Fundación OneLove, con un corazón ybarras de colores ligeramente diferentes de las de la bandera LGTBI, un gestoapoyado por otros ocho países entre los que no está España. Inglaterra lo harápese a la amenaza de multa de la FIFA. El consejero delegado de la federación,Mark Bullingham, dice que lo sabe y que no le importa: “Creo que hay unaposibilidad de que nos multen. Y si lo hacen, pagaremos la multa. Creemos quees importante mostrar nuestros valores. Yes eso es lo que haremos”.

With less than 48 hours on the countdown clock, David Beckham has still notresponded to British comedian Joe Lycett’s ultimatum. He threatens to put11,000 euros in paper money through the shredder live on the internet ifBeckham does not stop as ambassador of the World Cup in Qatar. Lycett, knownas a man of his word, must have set up the device.

“48 hours to go,” Lycett wrote on social media this afternoon with a photo ofthe shredder. The prankster, one of England’s best-known comedians, madeheadlines last week when he issued the ultimatum in a video, which now has 3.6million views on Twitter.

David Beckham is an icon for the LGBTI community, Lycett stated in the video.He was the first major footballer to do photoshoots for gay magazines, oftenspoke about his gay fans and married a Spice Girl, Victoria. “The mosthomosexual thing you can do as a human being,” joked Lycett, herself part ofthe community.

But his message was serious. Lycett finds it indigestible that gay iconBeckham has signed a deal to promote the World Cup in Qatar, reportedly for 10million pounds (11.5 million euros). He called Qatar “one of the worst placesin the world to be gay.” “It is illegal there, you can get a prison sentenceand, if you are Muslim, possibly the death penalty.”

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Beckham always describes football as something that can bring about positivechange. He can now prove that, says Lycett. In the video, he picked up a stackof bills – £1,000 for every million Beckham reportedly catches – and pledgedto donate it to charities that support LGBTQ people in football. At least, ifDavid cuts ties with the organization.

,,If you don’t, I will put this money in a shredder next Sunday at noon, justbefore the opening ceremony of the World Cup”, Lycett said. “Not only themoney, but also your status as an LGBTI icon will die.”

The comedian said to broadcast the shredding live on a specially registeredwebsite, benderslikebeckham.com. It’s a pun referring to the movie Bend itlike Beckham , which now means “gays like Beckham”. On the site, a clockcounts down to the possible shredding moment.

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‘Incredibly disappointing’

Beckham has still not responded. Yesterday it became known that he calls theWorld Cup a platform for progress, inclusiveness and tolerance, according tothis The Guardian. The former footballer has been under fire for some timebecause of his deal. England’s largest LGBT support group called it”incredibly disappointing” that someone who is “on a pedestal” with thecommunity is taking money to promote an event in Qatar, reported TheGuardian.

The committed Joe Lycett is not one for half measures. Two years ago he hadhis name officially changed to Hugo Boss, after the eponymous fashion brandhad repeatedly threatened with lawsuits against small companies that also have’Boss’ in their name. Last year, he tackled Shell with a documentary seriesfor alleged ‘greenwashing’, or advertising as if you were very environmentallyfriendly, while Shell is not, according to him.

Mucha fuerza debe tener el fútbol si “Los entresijos de la FIFA” (Netflix) nonos quitan las ganas de ver un partido. Sabemos que la corrupción está en elorigen del Mundial de Qatar. El Lobby entró en la FIFA y encontró gentesensible al dólar, así de simple. El resultado es un Mundial ennoviembre/diciembre, en una ciudad antes que en un país y bajo el imperio deuna riquísima monarquía autárquica. Occidente condena a Qatar sin fisuras porno respetar los derechos de la comunidad LGTBI, por considerar inferiores alas mujeres o por las terribles condiciones de trabajo de los obreros queconstruyeron los estadios. Pero veámoslo así: un Mundial es una invasiónpacífica que permite, entre otras cosas, denunciar y abrir el apetito de laslibertades en países donde están restringidas. Quedará por ver si el tiempo escapaz de hacer su trabajo cultural. Quizás sea una ingenuidad, pero es micoartada para que, al menos, no nos roben la posibilidad de disfrutar del

“No he recibido ningún don divino. No soy el mejor tirador ni el mejormanejador de balón. Tampoco soy el más rápido o el más fuerte. Pero lucho.Juego tan duro como el que más y nunca me echo atrás. No me asusta nada ninadie. Si crees que eso puede ser un talento, ese es el mío”. Aquellaspalabras de Jimmy Butler eran música para los oídos de Pat Riley, presidentede los Miami Heat desde 1995.

Butler visitó las instalaciones de los Heat el 30 de junio de 2019, encondición de agente libre –era la primera vez en su carrera que laexperimentaba- y para cerrar su acuerdo con la franquicia de Florida, una vezsabía la renuncia de Philadelphia a extender su contrato aquel verano. No esque Riley necesitase saber quién era, le había seguido de sobra y de hechodeseado incorporar desde varios años atrás. Pero la crudeza del mensaje,dentro de un contexto tan imponente como su oficina, escenario capaz deempequeñecer incluso al hombre más seguro, reafirmaba el acierto decontratarle. Jimmy era lo que Miami buscaba.

“Mirad –contaría Riley después a la prensa local-, él es un tipohipercompetitivo pero honesto. Su verdad nova a ser siempre la tuya. Habrámomentos de desacuerdo, pero no problemas. Si tu punto en una discusión esmejor que el mío, eso me acabará enseñando algo, me descubrirá qué hago mal.Y, sinceramente, considero necesario que algo así suceda”.

Doha es una ciudad en guardia, avizor de un Mundial del que no está muy claroqué espera ya quién espera. A dos días de la inauguración, la capital catarítiene un aire fantasmal. Son las 9.30 de la mañana (las 7.30 en España) y enel paseo marítimo de Corniche, una de las arterias principales, no hay másalmas que las de una extensa hilera de agents de policía entremezclados conpersonal del servicio de limpieza. Todos a cobijo. No hay bien más preciado yescaso que una sombra protectora de los 30 grados que ya abrasan y el 40% dehumedad que ya sofoca. Los cuerpos sudan como regaderas, al menos los de unadocena, no más, de valientes transeúntes sin uniforme. Los que lo llevan seempapan para nada. No hay a quién vigilar, ni siquiera hay tráfico que dirigirporque todo está cortado y vallado. Y porque en esta capital, de momento, nohay tránsito peatonal. De no ser por el tráfico, silencio, silencio. And lascalles, por el día y por la noche. And Doha se conducte, no se callejea. Nadaque ver con lo que presuntamente se espera. De ser así, un cambio de agujastotal.

And realidad, todo Doha es un recinto vallado, vallas, vallas y más vallas. Alretén de policías les secundan los recoge basuras que se empeñan en recoger labasura que no hay, porque no hay quien manche. Pero es lo que toca.

Unos y otros, gendarmes y limpiadores, suponen que en breve tendrán tarea. AndDoha todos suponen. También el personal con chaleco amarillo que indica alpeatón por dónde cruzar una avenida, como si los semáforos estuvieran en otroidioma. Están tan arbitrariamente sintonizados y hay tan pocos peatones que aestos se les invita a cruzar con el monigote en rojo para evitar esperas decuatro y cinco minutos a pleno sol y con el asphalto en brasas.

Hay guías peatonales como hay sherpas que indican por dónde salir y entrar almetro o señalan convenientemente qué escalera mecánica sube y cuál baja. Haypersonal, mucho personal, de todo tipo, a todas horas y por todas partes. Todoson timoneles. No importa que en la zona de la Bahía—la habilitada para loshinchas, los fake y los originales— y esa secuela de Manhattan que pone porlas nubes el cogollo financiero y administrativo de la capital, no hayaclientela a la que proteger del tráfico o hacer de lazarillo por el trensubterráneo. Un metro adelantado por la llegada del Mundial en el que podríamerendar en el suelo el más escrupuloso del universo. Una obra de palacio,todo resplandeciente. Con tres lines basta. Como pasa en el exterior, a faltade aficionados, lleguen o no en masa (la organización, optimista, prevé unmillón), hay muchos más monitores, no importa de qué materia, que pasajeros.No falta el atrezzo futbolero, claro, con balones de metal incrustados entrelos barrotes de agarre. Se suponen que nadie los desmontará tras el Mundial.Al fin y al cabo tendrán más utilidad posterior que los siete estadios del másallá construidos para el gran evento futbolístico. And Qatar, llegada la ligacatarí, el fútbol no da para tanto.

Elon Musk, in the middle of a crisis of his own making after hundreds ofTwitter employees quit following his demand they commit “hardcore” totoileting at the company, found the time to pardon comedian Kathy Griffin forthe crime of impersonating the tech tycoon.

Griffin was suspended from Twitter in early November after she changed heraccount name to “Elon Musk” and used his pic for her profile. Griffin tookover the Twitter account of Maggie Griffin, her late mother, after beingbanned and has continued to troll Musk. On Friday, sheresponded fromthat account, “Dear Eilon. You f**ked up, fool. I’m going downstairs to mybasement of heads. You’re up. Xxoo, The Header.”

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As for whether or not to let Donald Trump back on Twitter, Musk said, a“decision has not yet been made.” Trump was permanently banned from Twitterand other mainstream internet platforms in early 2021 for his posts supportingthe Jan. 6 rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol.

Musk has accused Twitter of censoring conservatives and he has previously saidhe would reverse Twitter’s permanent ban on Trump, calling it a “morally baddecision.” Trump has previously insisted he would not rejoin Twitter,regardless of who owns it, to stick to his own (ironically named) TruthSocial, a Twitter knockoff.

In addition to reinstating Griffin — whose first name he misspelled as“Kathie” — Musk also said author Jordan Peterson (which he misspelled as“Jorden”) and satire site Babylon Bee have had their Twitter accountsrestored.

Peterson, a right-wing Canadian psychologist, was suspended in June 2022 underTwitter’s rules prohibiting hateful conduct after he tweeted, “Remember whenpride was a sin?” He then deadnamed Elliot Page, the actor who in 2020announced that he is transgender, and said that Page’s “breasts [were] removedby a criminal physician.”

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In March 2022, Twitter suspended the right-wing Babylon Bee, also under thecompany’s “hateful conduct” policy, after the publication announced that ithad selected Dr. Rachel Levine, a transgender woman who is US AssistantSecretary for Health, as its “Man of the Year.” The website bills itself as“your trusted source for Christian news satire.”

In response to a Twitter user who exhorted Musk to “bring back Alex Jones,”the conspiracy-monger who has been ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion tofamilies of victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting, Muskreplied“No.”

Musk, shortly after he closed the $44 billion Twitter takeover on Oct. 27,said the company would create a content-moderation council with “widelydiverse viewpoints” and that “no major content decisions or accountreinstatements will happen before that council convenes.” It’s unclear whethersuch a council was formed.

Upon completing the Twitter deal, Musk fired the senior management team andlaid off 50% of its 7,500 employees. On Thursday, more than 1,200 employeesquit over Musk’s “hardcore” workplace fiat, the New York Times reported. Thatwould leave around 2,500 staffers remaining, about one-third its previousheadcount.

In a thread Friday, Musk said Twitter’s new policy ensures “freedom of speech,but not freedom of reach.”

According to Twitter’s CEO, that means “negative/hate tweets will be maxdeboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter.” He added,“You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is nodifferent from rest of Internet.”

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