As Twitter, now rebranded as X, celebrates 20 years since its inception, the mainstream media is poised to drool over its alleged impact on revolutions and wars. But let’s dissect this narrative. CNN and MSNBC are quick to paint a rosy picture, framing X as a beacon of democracy and free speech. Meanwhile, they conveniently ignore the platform’s role in spreading misinformation, stoking division, and silencing dissent. You can’t have it both ways, folks.

Look at how these outlets celebrate activists and whistleblowers whose voices were amplified on X, cherry-picking instances to fit their narrative while glossing over the rampant censorship that occurs under the guise of “community guidelines.” How many times have we seen conservative voices muted or banned? The irony is delicious, yet tragic. Fox News might throw in a critique now and again, but they still fail to address the deep-seated issues with the platform’s capricious moderation policies. They’re merely skirting the surface.

At the end of the day, X has transformed from a tool for open dialogue into a battleground where narratives are shaped, controlled, and weaponized. The mainstream media’s infatuation with this narrative of X as a “revolutionary tool” is reductive and dangerous, willfully ignoring its flaws. Let’s call it what it is: a platform in crisis, showcased by an industry too busy pushing agendas to tell the unvarnished truth.