Twitter to be ‘world’s most accurate real-time info source’: CEO Linda Yaccarino

The new boss of the social media company has shared her first email to all the employees in which she asked for support in building “Twitter 2.0- the world’s most accurate real-time information source”.

She wrote to employees, “The success of Twitter 2.0 is all of our responsibility…We can do it by starting from first principles–questioning our assumptions and building something new from the ground up”.

Last year, the world’s richest person Elon Musk bought Twitter after founder Jack Dorsey ceded the CEO position. Since then, the micro-blogging site has been embroiled in innumerable controversies. Musk received a barrage of criticism for its approach in tacking fake information on the platform. Besides, Musk’s controversial takeover resulted in massive layoffs. He welcomed back far-right and controversial figures on the platform, scaring off its highest-paying advertisers.

Last month, Musk chose top ad executive Linda Yaccarino to take the day-to-day reins of Twitter.

Yaccarino, former head of advertising at NBCUniversal, echoed Musk’s goal in the mail. She said, “From space exploration to electric vehicles, Elon knew these industries needed transformation. so he did it. More recently it has become increasingly clear that the global town square needs transformation- to drive civilization forward through the unfiltered exchange of information”.

Born into a family with Italian roots, Yaccarino has spent her career in television. At NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of cable operator Comcast, she redesigned her advertising strategy to support a shift from traditional television to streaming shows online. According to NBCUniversal’s website, Yaccarino led a team of 2,000 people. She brought the group’s channels into a single platform to streamline ad campaigns.

In mid-April this year, she interviewed Musk at the “Possible” marketing conference in which she suggested that “Advertisers need to feel that there is an opportunity for them to influence what you’re building”. She argued that the goal is to make Twitter a place where advertisers are excited to spend marketing money, saying that involves content moderation, user safety, and product development.

Yaccarino’s direct style and sharp insights visibly intrigued Musk.

And a month later, Musk teased Yaccarino’s hiring, saying in a tweet that he had hired a woman to replace him as boss of Twitter and its newly named X Corporation parent, but without revealing the name.

In another tweet, Musk then wrote he would remain in charge of design and technology at Twitter, with Yaccarino focusing primarily on business operations and turning Twitter into an “everything app” called X.

Yaccarino will face an uphill battle trying to lure back major advertisers that are afraid of unwanted associations with conspiracy theorists and far-right content makers who Musk encouraged back to Twitter.

Updated: 13 Jun 2023, 11:12 AM IST