Substack invited new applications — except from Twitter employees disgruntled by “Elon Musk pushing for less regulated speech.”
Earlier this week, Elon Musk became Twitter’s largest shareholder after he purchased a 9.2% stake in the social media firm. He has promised to “make significant improvements to Twitter” and has polled his followers on whether or not Twitter “rigorously adheres” to the principles of free speech.
Meanwhile, Lulu Cheng Meservey — the vice president of communications for Substack, a platform that supports subscription newsletters — told Twitter employees to not bother applying if they worry about Musk’s reforms.
“Substack is hiring! If you’re a Twitter employee who’s considering resigning because you’re worried about Elon Musk pushing for less regulated speech… please do not come work here,” she tweeted. “But for everybody else, we really are hiring! Join a talented, determined, passionate, motley team of all backgrounds and beliefs. We debate respectfully, execute maniacally, and live to serve writers and podcasters.”
Substack is hiring!
If you’re a Twitter employee who’s considering resigning because you’re worried about Elon Musk pushing for less regulated speech… please do not come work here.
— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) April 5, 2022
“It was a lighthearted poke at Twitter, but of course we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and with a wide range of beliefs and opinions, because diversity is strength,” Meservey told The Daily Wire in a statement. “But working at Substack only makes sense if you support the ideas relating to our core mission, including that what you read matters, that writers do important work and deserve to be paid well for it, and that healthy discourse needs to allow for respectful disagreement. If that’s you please check out Substack.com/jobs!”
Earlier this year, Meservey explained that Substack is devoted to “defending free expression, even for stuff we personally dislike or disagree with.” She also expressed a desire for “a thriving ecosystem full of fresh and diverse ideas.”
Substack is hiring!
If you’re a Twitter employee who’s considering resigning because you’re worried about Elon Musk pushing for less regulated speech… please do not come work here.
— Lulu Cheng Meservey (@lulumeservey) April 5, 2022
Indeed, Musk’s takeover of Twitter appears to be at least partially motivated by the company’s censorship. According to Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, Musk consulted with the Christian satire site — which was suspended from Twitter for an article that jokingly named Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine as “Man of the Year” — before purchasing his stake.
“Musk reached out to us before he polled his followers about Twitter’s commitment to free speech,” Dillon reported. “He wanted to confirm that we had, in fact, been suspended. He even mused on that call that he might need to buy Twitter. Now he’s the largest shareholder and has a seat on the board.”
Twitter has thus far refused to revoke its decision to lock The Babylon Bee’s account. According to Dillon, the company wrote: “Our support team has determined that a violation did take place, and therefore we will not overturn our decision.”
Twitter took similar action against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who pointed out on Twitter that “Rachel Levine is a man.” He was subsequently flagged for “hateful conduct” by the social media giant.
Last August, conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey was suspended for a tweet that criticized transgender Olympic weightlifter Laurel Hubbard competing against females: “Hubbard failing at the event doesn’t make his inclusion fair. He’s still a man, and men shouldn’t compete against women in weightlifting.” Twitter likewise flagged the post for “hateful conduct” and told Stuckey, “You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.”