Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
In a flurry of tweets on Saturday, Twitter users expressed their mixed feelings about the appointment of Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of the social media platform. The announcement, made by Twitter’s owner Elon Musk, sparked an array of responses ranging from cautious optimism to skepticism, highlighting the challenges Yaccarino will face as she takes on this new role.
Twitter user Dean Johnson (@dbjohnso86) questioned the direction the platform might take under Yaccarino’s leadership, referencing the past era under Jack Dorsey. “Pretty simple! Did without Twitter up until 12/1/22 as I never had it before Elon, so if she makes it go back to what I heard it was like with Jack, I just won’t use it. I suspect Elon won’t let that happen…”
Others were more critical, calling on Yaccarino to clarify her stance on a number of issues. User @dblckmr_dave, for example, tweeted: “You have a lot to explain with your past ties to the World Economic Forum (WEF), COVID/vaccine support, and mainstream media. Show that you denounce this past early and often.”
Some users expressed distrust. Lisa Caputo (@PRYMAOD) posted, “I don’t trust her. I hope we can trust Elon.” Meanwhile, user @GodarmyofAngel raised concerns about Yaccarino’s past working for a “fake lying Government Propaganda machine.”
There were also calls for Yaccarino to ensure the platform’s commitment to free speech. “She didn’t mention free speech?” asked @Old_Measurement.
In contrast, some users expressed support for Yaccarino and urged others to give her a chance. Carlos Rango (@DirtyBird_1982) tweeted, “All the hate from people and they forget, she’s an employee. Musk drives the direction as the owner and she follows. Give her a shot!”
The reactions underscore the diverse user base of Twitter and the broad range of expectations they have for the platform. As Yaccarino steps into her role as CEO, she will be challenged to balance these varied user perspectives while she works to shape Twitter’s future.
Linda Yaccarino, the former head of advertising at NBCUniversal, following her appointment, expressed her enthusiasm and commitment to the future of the platform on Twitter, also calling for user feedback to shape the platform’s future.
“Thank you @elonmusk! I’ve long been inspired by your vision to create a brighter future. I’m excited to help bring this vision to Twitter and transform this business together!” Yaccarino tweeted on Saturday evening. She continued, “I see I have some new followers… I’m not as prolific as @elonmusk (yet!), but I’m just as committed to the future of this platform. Your feedback is VITAL to that future. I’m here for all of it. Let’s keep the conversation going and build Twitter 2.0 together!”
Yaccarino’s appointment was announced on Friday by Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, who said in a tweet, “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter! @LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology. Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”