X, formerly known as Twitter, is set to make a significant change to how news articles appear on its platform. The social media giant plans to remove headlines and other text from articles shared on the service, displaying only the lead image when tweets contain links. This means that users, including publishers, will have to manually add their own text alongside the links they share, or else the tweet will only show an image overlayed with the URL. While clicking on the image will still lead to the full article on the publisher’s website, this change could have major implications for publishers and advertisers who rely on social media to drive traffic.
According to sources, the change is being driven by X owner Elon Musk, who aims to reduce the height of tweets. Musk also believes that this change will help combat clickbait. While the change has faced resistance from advertisers, Musk is reportedly determined to implement it. Advertisers have expressed concerns that articles occupy too much space on the timeline. X Corp. CEO Linda Yaccarino has been working to resolve the platform’s challenges in retaining advertisers.
Currently, shared articles on X appear as “Cards,” which include visual elements such as images, a short headline, and a brief description. The Cards format was created when tweets were limited to 140 characters, and it allowed users to share content without exceeding the character limit. However, the short headlines often lack the full details of the article and may incentivize clickbait pitches. By eliminating all content except the image, X aims to encourage users to write more engaging posts.
Furthermore, X now offers a premium version of the service, which allows users to compose longer tweets containing up to 25,000 characters. This provides more room for media companies, advertisers, and journalists to provide deeper context around an article, but at a cost.
Elon Musk recently called on journalists to “publish directly on this platform” if they want more freedom to write and a higher income. This call for longer posts may seem contradictory to the objective of fitting more tweets within the timeline. However, Musk has a history of managing Twitter with enigmatic and seemingly contradictory moves.
Musk, who acquired Twitter for $44 billion last year, has had a fraught relationship with the media industry. He has criticized and alienated big brand advertisers with his efforts to remove content moderation rules and reinstate banned users, including former President Donald Trump.
The planned changes to shared articles are currently being tested internally, and the rollout date for the public has not been announced. Recent updates to the cards format, such as overlaying URL links on images and removing short descriptions on mobile, indicate the forthcoming change. Additionally, X’s open-source algorithm has revealed that external links are often given lower priority unless they have substantial engagement.
X has not responded to requests for comment regarding these changes.