Well, folks, it looks like the lawsuit between Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) and the liberal watchdog group Media Matters is heading to trial! That’s right, a federal judge in Texas just gave the green light for X’s lawsuit against Media Matters to move forward, after denying the group’s request to dismiss the case. Buckle up—this is going to get interesting.
Here’s the backstory. Media Matters kicked off a firestorm back in November when they published a report that claimed pro-Nazi and antisemitic content was popping up right next to advertisements from some of America’s biggest corporations on X.
Big names like Apple, IBM, Comcast, and Lionsgate quickly hit the brakes on their advertising, understandably not wanting their brand associated with such toxic content. But Musk’s platform wasn’t having it.
X fired back hard, accusing Media Matters of pulling a fast one. The company says Media Matters “completely misrepresented” how users actually experience the platform. According to X, the group manipulated the algorithms to make sure hateful, racist content appeared right next to major advertisers’ posts, all to paint X in a bad light. Essentially, X is claiming Media Matters set them up.
Media Bias Lawsuit could upend “Narrative Journalism” – Elon Musk’s X can proceed to trial in case against Media Matters after Texas judge denies dismissal request https://t.co/oB5RMiIEjq
— Tom Corley (@RICHHABITS) September 3, 2024
Now, this isn’t just about hurt feelings. X says the report caused real financial damage, as those advertisers paused their campaigns. The lawsuit against Media Matters includes some hefty claims: tortious interference with existing contracts, business disparagement, and interference with potential future business. In plain English? They’re saying Media Matters purposely meddled in their business and hurt their bottom line.
The judge, Reed O’Connor, wasn’t buying Media Matters’ arguments for dismissal. They tried to argue that the case didn’t belong in Texas, but since companies like AT&T and Oracle were among the advertisers affected—and they’re based in Texas—that excuse didn’t fly. Plus, the judge found X’s claims solid enough to let the case go to trial, meaning we’ll get to see this showdown unfold in court.
Elon Musk sued Media Matters For America. “The suit was filed in Texas last year and alleges that MMFA should be held legally liable for negative reporting that caused companies to pull ads from X.” via @verge https://t.co/Tuat2DbVeQ
— Nancy Levine Stearns 🇺🇦 (@nancylevine) September 3, 2024
Media Matters, of course, is sticking to their guns, calling the lawsuit “frivolous” and defending their reporting. But with a trial set for April 2025, it’s clear this battle isn’t going to end with a quick dismissal. Expect this case to heat up as Musk’s X tries to prove that Media Matters crossed the line with its reporting and took aim at X’s advertisers in a way that wasn’t just unethical but legally questionable.
