Twitter is testing a new feature that aims to identify verified journalists and link them with the logo of their respective publications. The Daily Mirror, a British newspaper, is among the first publications to have its journalists featured with the new symbol, which displays the Mirror logo alongside their blue tick on the platform (eg. check Alison Phillips’s Twitter profile).
Twitter has recently undergone changes to its verification process since it was acquired by Elon Musk. The company has made the previously centrally distributed “blue ticks”, which were previously only given to notable individuals, available to any user willing to pay for them. This change in policy has led to a loss of trust in the blue tick as a guarantee of authenticity. In response, Twitter has introduced additional verification marks such as gold ticks for companies and grey ticks for governments.
The new feature is being tested as part of Twitter’s “Blue Business” beta program, which allows companies to link multiple accounts with one main account. The Daily Mirror‘s main account, which has a gold tick, was used to submit several other Mirror accounts and journalists to be affiliated with it. The feature has been described as a useful tool by Yara Silva, Reach group head of social media, who said that it helps to make it clearer that affiliated journalists are trustworthy sources that are connected to the Mirror brand.
This move by Twitter is seen as an attempt to restore trust in the platform’s verification process and to provide users with a clearer understanding of the authenticity of accounts. By linking journalists and their publications, Twitter hopes to provide its users with a better understanding of the sources of information on the platform. However, it remains to be seen how successful the feature will be and if it will be extended to other publications in the future.
