To enhance the visual appeal of posts on the platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, has decided to strip headlines from news story links. This move comes after site owner Elon Musk expressed his belief that it would make posts look better.
Now, when you encounter links posted on X, you’ll see an image from the article along with text in the image’s left-hand corner, indicating the domain of the link. To visit the linked page, users must click on the image. Interestingly, the appearance is only slightly different from how regular images uploaded to the site appear.


This change was implemented on Wednesday for iOS and desktop users. Notably, this alteration doesn’t seem to affect advertisement links.
The decision to remove headlines had been in the works since August. Following reports in Fortune about this planned change, Musk personally confirmed it with a tweet, stating, “This is coming from me directly. Will greatly improve the aesthetics.“
X has undergone significant transformations since Musk’s takeover nearly a year ago, making it less hospitable for news organizations. Although it was never a primary source of traffic for many news sites, it remains a vital platform for media organizations and reporters to share and gather news. However, reports indicate that traffic from Twitter has dwindled since Musk’s takeover. NPR and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have recently reduced their usage of the platform.
The ABC cited toxic interactions on X and better engagement on other platforms as reasons for their withdrawal. In response, Musk accused the organization of censorship.
Back in August, X briefly introduced a five-second delay when loading links to news sites, as well as competitors like Reuters, The New York Times, Instagram, and Blue Sky.
This week, Musk revealed that he “almost never reads legacy news anymore” and underscored that the X algorithm is designed to encourage users to stay on the site by optimizing against external links. He suggested, “The best thing is to post content in long form on this platform.”
In recent developments, The Financial Times reported that X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, plans to meet with the banks that financed Elon Musk’s $13 billion purchase of Twitter last year. The purpose of this meeting is to explain the strategy for reviving the company, which faced an exodus of advertisers.
Just last month, Musk had threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over lost revenue, alleging that the organization pressured advertisers to withdraw their ads, falsely accusing him and his company of being antisemitic. In response, the ADL stood by its research findings that X and other platforms struggle with antisemitism and extremism. However, it acknowledged X’s “stated intent over the last few weeks to address antisemitism and hate on the platform.” The ADL refuted Musk’s claims that it orchestrated a boycott of X or caused significant financial losses to the company through its actions.
In response, Musk expressed his gratitude to the ADL for clarifying its stance and for advertising on the X platform.
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