Kate Mills 
Apr 04, 2024
Last night, a wave of surprise hit several distinguished journalists and others who found themselves unexpectedly reinstated with verified blue checks on Elon Musk's platform, X. Peter Kafka, among them, shared a notification from X confirming that this was a deliberate action.
The message highlighted their status as key figures on X, offering them a free subscription to X Premium as per its terms. This gesture was clarified further in a tweet from X: Accounts with over 2,500 verified subscribers receive Premium features at no cost, and those with more than 5,000 subscribers get access to the ad-free Premium+ level for free.
Previously, free Premium blue checks were exclusive to users with massive followings, often in the millions, as well as to celebrities and corporate/media entities. This recent strategy seems aimed at incorporating influential figures with smaller followings, especially journalists.
This move by X could be an attempt to reinvigorate its reputation as a leading platform for breaking news, which has waned recently. High-profile events like the Taiwan earthquake, the Turkey elections, and the Baltimore bridge collapse highlighted the issue, as users noted a decline in the platform's news-breaking efficiency.
The reason? Journalists, the primary news breakers and amplifiers have lost visibility on X, where the algorithm now favours content from verified (blue check) users. This has led to less knowledgeable or promotional accounts gaining prominence over seasoned journalists with valuable, accurate information.
The reinstatement of the blue checks, however, hasn't been universally welcomed. With the blue check now seen by some as a dubious honour, users like @emptywheel and Katie Notopoulos expressed dismay at their unsolicited verified status. "@emptywheel bemoaned their forced verification, seeking a way to opt out, while Katie Notopoulos humorously lamented becoming a "blue check" and inadvertently promoting questionable content.
