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In a groundbreaking move, Elon Musk, the entrepreneurial powerhouse behind Tesla and SpaceX, has introduced a novel method for news organisations to monetise their content on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

Musk’s announcement follows his previous initiative to financially support individual creators through the X advertising revenue program. Building on this, the billionaire has extended the same revenue sharing model to media houses, seeking to redefine the symbiotic relationship between platforms and news publishers.

Musk shared on X, “Our advertising revenue share programme also applies to organisations (news or otherwise) who wish to participate.” This suggests a democratisation of revenue, potentially allowing for a more diverse range of content creators and media outlets to benefit from their contributions to the platform.

Earlier in the week, Musk had put forth an invitation to journalists, encouraging them to directly publish their work on X. This would not only provide them with more editorial freedom but also the opportunity to earn a significantly higher income. Musk’s rationale for this initiative seems to pivot on enhancing user experience. He mentioned, “This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the aesthetics.”

There’s also been a noticeable shift in how X presents news articles. Posts that previously contained headlines, text, and links of news articles have been transformed. Now, only the lead image from the article is displayed, which acts as a clickable link redirecting to the full story. Musk’s intention behind this redesign appears to be decluttering users’ timelines, thus offering a more streamlined and visually appealing interface.

While the response to these changes has been varied, a particular follower succinctly commented: “Then give us better tools.” It remains to be seen how Musk’s latest endeavors on X will pan out, but one thing’s for sure – the platform is undergoing a significant metamorphosis under his leadership.

As news organisations grapple with ever-evolving digital landscapes, Musk’s move could represent a watershed moment in how they engage with platforms, ensuring a more equitable distribution of digital ad revenue.

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