The 2024 US presidential election has marked a decisive shift in how people consume news and engage with political leaders, exposing what Elon Musk has long predicted: citizen journalism is overtaking legacy media.
In an era where authenticity and transparency are paramount, voters are increasingly looking to platforms like X for unfiltered access to leaders’ views, rejecting the narratives and curation of mainstream legacy outlets.
This election season, Trump tended to bypass the legacy media, choosing to engage directly with the public on social media and through extensive podcast interviews.
Meanwhile loser Kamala Harris relied on brief, heavily edited appearances in legacy media, delegating social media interactions to a PR team.
The contrast underscored a growing dissatisfaction among voters, who increasingly value direct communication over mediated, polished, and misleading messaging from the legacy media.
“Leaders should post [on 𝕏] directly, not hand the role to intermediaries. That is what works best. Mistakes will be made, but that’s what proves it’s real. People want authenticity,” Musk asserted.
Musk’s tweet highlighted this change: “The reality of this election was plain to see on 𝕏, while most legacy media lied relentlessly to the public. You are the media now. Please post your thoughts and observations on 𝕏, correct others when wrong and we will have at least one place in the world where you can come to find the truth.”
In response to a legacy media landscape increasingly viewed as biased, controlled and full of disinformation, citizens are embracing their role in shaping news.
By reporting their observations, correcting misinformation, and contributing directly to public discourse, users on X and similar platforms are creating a new, democratised form of journalism.
With the rapid decline in trust for legacy media, the latest US election confirms a broader trend: that people are turning to citizen journalism, finding authenticity and truth where mainstream outlets have failed to deliver.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
