By Sofia Mohamed
On February 21, Kenyans on Twitter woke up to chaos on the platform after it stripped off the blue badge from news outlets, journalists, and government agencies. The decision by the platform owner Elon Musk sparked massive chaos, as jokers spread fake news using accounts parodying news outlets.
Twitter accounts owned by Royal Media Services, Radio Africa Group, Nation Media Group and Mediamax Network Limited lost their verification after the lapse of the April 20 deadline. Online users took advantage of the situation and opened parody accounts and used them to make numerous claims including announcing death of prominent persons, appointments of senior government officials and several other false information.
Citizen TV was the hardest hit by the removal of the verified badge, and they were forced to hit back by advising followers to “stay updated and debunk fake news by following our official Twitter account” in the wake of numerous imposter accounts under its name. Some of the parody accounts included @citizen__tv, @citizenvkenya, @Psychohsins_. The accounts shared misleading content.
On November 1, 2022 Musk announced he intended to withdraw the blue verification mark in a bid to end what he termed as “lords and peasants system”, commencing April 1. Musk declared he would be charging Sh1,082 monthly for the varication badge. The social media company had set April 20, 2023 as the cut-off date for the removal of blue checks.
The verified checkmark originally signalled a symbol of authenticity and credibility on the social media platform. It signified that the account had been verified by Twitter and was legitimate. This verification process involved a review of the account and its content, ensuring it met Twitter’s community standards and guidelines. The verified checkmark is a valuable commodity for individuals and business who want to establish their online presence and build their reputation.
For this reason, media outlets should pay for a Twitter verified checkmark because it enhances their credibility and reputation. By having a verified account, they can establish themselves as trustworthy sources of information, which is crucial in today’s age of false news and misinformation.
The checkmark also adds a level of professionalism to their account, making it more attractive to potential followers and advertisers.
Furthermore, media outlets often have a large online presence. This makes them prime targets for impersonation and fake accounts. By having a verified account, they can protect their brand and prevent others from misrepresenting them on the platform.
Overall, the Twitter verified checkmark is a valuable investment for media outlets looking to establish their credibility and protect their brand on social media.
Twitter has since restored the checkmark to accounts that have more than one million followers. However, the big question on big tech still lingers – what is its role in promoting quality journalism thereby strengthening the quality of media viability in developing countries? Doesn’t this kind of behaviour exhibited by Twitter, an American multinational, amount to dictatorship on smaller local institutions that can do little to retaliate?
Well, over to big tech and Kenyan policy makers to find a solution to this conundrum.
The author is a media analyst
