Elon Musk has extended an invitation to former CNN host Don Lemon to start a new show on Twitter, following the recent firings of both Lemon and Fox News star host Tucker Carlson.
Business Insider reports that in the aftermath of the high-profile firings of former CNN host Don Lemon and Fox News star host Tucker Carlson, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has reached out to Lemon on Twitter, suggesting he consider starting a new show on the platform as an alternative to traditional media.
Responding to Lemon’s tweet from April 24, the day both hosts were fired, Musk tweeted, “Have you considered doing your show on this platform? Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger.”
The announcement video for Tucker Carlson’s plans to bring his political reporting to Twitter has already gained a lot of attention on the social media site. The video has received 24.7 million views since it went live on Tuesday. In the announcement, Carlson stated, “There aren’t many platforms left that allow free speech. The last big one remaining in the world – the only one – is Twitter.”
We’re back. pic.twitter.com/sG5t9gr60O
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 9, 2023
The potential for a wide variety of voices on the platform was emphasized by Musk, who is also the CEO of Twitter. He said, “On this platform, unlike the one-way street of broadcast, people are able to interact, critique, and refute whatever is said. I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform.”
The media landscape has already been significantly impacted by Carlson’s switch to Twitter. According to Bloomberg, his announcement caused Rumble, a video network backed by Peter Thiel and viewed as a right-wing substitute for YouTube, to lose $235 million in market value.
The details of Carlson’s show on Twitter and the potential of Lemon launching his own program are still being kept under wraps by Twitter. It’s unclear how the inclusion of these well-known individuals in Twitter’s content lineup will influence future news consumption and public discourse given how quickly the media landscape is changing.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan
