For the media: Jack Dorsey leaving Twitter “His tenure has been less than stellar”

Jennifer Grygiel, Syracuse University associate professor and social media researcher offers this reaction to the news that Jack Dorsey, the founder and CEO of Twitter, is stepping down.

“Unlike Mark Zuckerberg, Dorsey has never been in control of Twitter. His role as CEO has always been subject to corporate performance and market forces given how influential Twitter is in terms of politics and in shaping society,” said Grygiel.

“His tenure has been less than stellar with significant issues related to his handling of former President Trump’s use of Twitter and content moderation in general. This could also be a sign that major investors are working to exert more control over the platform which brings social and societal influence,” said Grygiel.

Grygiel (they/them), @jmgrygiel, is a researcher of social media, propaganda, and the oversight and abuse of platforms. Examples of their interviews here: http://jennifergrygiel.com/ and you can always reach out to them directly via jmgrygiel@syr.edu.

Please contact Ellen James Mbuqe, director of media relations at Syracuse University, at ejmbuqe@syr.edu or 412-496-0551. Recent interviews by Prof. Grygiel can be seen here:

• Social Media Companies Are Banning Trump. Why Now?, NPR
• Can Trump prevail in his lawsuits against Twitter, Facebook? The odds are not in his favor, San Francisco Chronicle
• President rages as Twitter labels White House disinformation, The Conversation (commentary)
• Policy, not personal insults: Biden uses Twitter to sell his agenda, with a few pooch pics thrown in, USA Today
• Trump accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram frozen after storming of U.S. Capitol, CBC News
• Twitter’s get-out-the-vote campaign push will be in your face Tuesday, USA Today
• Facebook, FARA and Foreign Media, Law Fare
• Stop Saying Facebook Is ‘Too Big to Moderate’, Wired
• Who’s using Google and Facebook data in coronavirus fight?, CBS (video)
• What does it take to make a social media network that doesn’t exploit users?Digital Trends
• For Trump and Iran, trolling on Twitter helped escalate tensions, Washington Post
• Twitter’s Jack Dorsey created a walled internet garden. Then he realized he hated tending it, NBC News
• Trump, the Twitter president, tweets his way into impeachment hearings, USA Today
• So, uh, why is Richard Spencer still on Twitter? Rolling Stone