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ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT: EXAMINING ELON MUSK.
By Artur Cherkashin.
MLUXR305-GVA05296. Seminar: Online Reputation Management.
Professor Bernard Tamer.
EU Business School.
June 09, 2023
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1. Assessment of Elon Musk’s Current Reputation
Elon Musk received conflicting responses from the public and media outlets after
acquiring control of Twitter via Neuralink. While some saw this action as a step in the right
direction toward less regulation of social media, opening it up to freedom of speech, others
saw it as threatening a democratic and progressive ethic of inclusivity, equity, and human
rights. Despite these conflicting viewpoints, Musk ultimately maintained an active Twitter
presence after the purchase and continued to use the site to provide updates on personal and
business endeavors. While opinions on Musk as a whole didn't shift much as a result of this
incident, it once again demonstrated the variety of perspectives on his actions and activities
across sectors and groups. Typically, Musk is considered a controversial and polarizing figure
because of his open support for freedom and free speech, which is usually correlated with a
more conservative, less progressive-leaning agenda.
Surprisingly, Americans are pretty happy that Musk has adopted Twitter as his pet
project. According to Orth (2022), In an April survey of 1,022 American individuals, 30%
predicted that Musk's acquisition of Twitter would be beneficial for the social media site,
while 24% predicted that it would be detrimental. A sentiment analysis that asked viewers to
describe Musk in one adjective showed that predominant characteristics ascribed to him were
adjectives such as eccentric, entrepreneurial, strategic, innovator, and visionary.
In addition, we can turn to social media sentiment analysis to assess how social media
audiences felt about the tech giant in 2018 and how they feel about it now. Harjanto (2018)
conducted a sentiment analysis, reconstruction, and interpretation of Twitter users’
sentiments (feelings) and thematic content as captured by Tweets, likes, and reposts,
indicating a heavy bias toward the company, Tesla. Musk’s own Tweets were mainly
centered on Tesla’s development. In 2018, before Musk came to purchase and own Twitter,
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sentiments toward him were largely negative, without reciprocation of positive content. This
could be because of the prevalence of the word “Trump” (Harjanto, 2018) in his Tweets.
Delteil (2023) conducted a similar sentiment analysis within a more recent context, working
with a data sample of 500,000 Tweets about the tech giant between November of 2022 and
December 2022. Bi-grams showed that the most frequent themes were ‘free speech’ and
‘Elon Musk.’ Another generated theme was Hunter Biden’s laptop, with some arguing that
Musk would spread anti-Semitic and anti-Democratic conspiracy theories. Figure 1 illustrates
the sentiment analysis, with Elon popularizing words like ‘free speech,’ ‘left’ and ‘truth,’
indicating his potentially conservative bias. This would suggest that there is a high propensity
to associate Musk with conservative views and values, as well as experts and political figures.
Digital Planet (2023) goes into even more dept analyzing user perceptions of Musk.
For instance, a global analysis showed that between February of 2022 and October of 2022,
out of 16.3 million Tweets, more of them were harmful than positive, with negative
comments/sentiments reaching a peak in October 2022. It was here that Musk closed the deal
to purchase Twitter. Anger and sadness were the two predominant feelings during this time in
the United States, based on a Fletcher global analysis, while interestingly, the third most
predominant feeling was joy (Digital Planet, 2023). This indicates that most users were likely
nervous about Musk owning Twitter because of much of the anti-Trump, progressive views
Twitter users tend to hold. Furthermore, Bullock & Korinek (2022) suggest that
recommendation algorithms will not serve to make Twitter entirely ‘free.’
Musk is in a problematic spot, however, because he has both right wing and left wing
supporters, implying that he must appease both sides of the political spectrum, even though
they are more polarized than ever. While Must might be a “free speech absolutist” (Martin,
2022), he has also been called out on spreading disinformation. Even some of his
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conservative supporters argue that he has been censoring less-than-desirable figures on the
right. On the other hand, progressives are concerned that some of the right wing figures that
had been previously banned from Twitter, including Jacob Wohl, might return (Palmer,
2022).
Figure 1
2. Identifying Pillars of Reputation & Stakeholders
Some stable and identifiably pillars of Musk’s reputation include entrepreneurial
success, passion for sustainability, visionary leadership, and innovation. He is well known for
being a pioneering figure in the realms of space exploration, renewable energy, electric cars,
and technical developments. His status as a key player in these fields has been cemented by
his continuous pursuit of innovation and ground-breaking technical advancements, especially
in the fields of electric cars (Tesla) and space exploration (SpaceX). He has also established
himself as a well-known and important businessman thanks to his entrepreneurial success
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across several businesses, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
Mr. Musk is well known for being an advocate for a sustainable future. He has established
himself as a critical proponent for environmental sustainability thanks to his work to speed
the switch to sustainable transportation and renewable energy sources.
Stakeholders in Mr. Elon Musk's reputation include a wide range of people and
organizations. Investors and shareholders look on Mr. Musk's firms for stability, openness,
and responsible leadership to promote profitable and sustainable development. Customers
and social media users look to these businesses for high-quality goods, creative ideas, and
dependable customer service, in addition to looking at Musk as a key ethical and moral pillar
of the community. Because of Musk’s comprehensive visibility in mainstream discourse, he
has become somewhat of a symbolic figure in the field of sustainability and CSR (Corporate
Social Responsibility), particularly with the development of Tesla and electric vehicles. As
such, Musk has a distinct reputation to live up to that may extend to stakeholders outside of
the immediate entrepreneurial world. For instance, global leaders from organizations like
WEF (World Economic Forum), United Nations (UN), and energy-based organizations
specialized in sustainable and renewable energy. These may be large financiers of Musk’s
business ventures and include global venture capitalists.
The current gaps are predominantly from Musk being perceived as a conservative
figure, which goes against the progressive narratives that Twitter—and much of the world—
has become accustomed to. For instance, numerous media articles discuss Musk’s
controversial opinions. Kolodny’s (2023) accuses Musk of bringing up the idea of reverse
racism against whites, while Scribner (2022) suggests that since Musk took over Twitter, the
number of racial slurs hurled on the platform has skyrocketed, predominantly targeting
Hispanics and Jews, along with transgendered people. At the same time, many of Musk’s
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most avid supporters are also global progressives. In other words, Twitter has now taken up
the mantle of being an ‘alt right’ platform.
3. Recommendation to Address Reputation Gaps
One concrete strategy Musk could utilize is to engage in constructive conversations
while separating himself from the far right. One of the issues he faces, as an entrepreneur and
new owner of Twitter, is his association with the famed far right, the anti-progressive ‘trolls’
responsible for spreading hateful content on Twitter. When it comes to public relations crises
distinctly involving hate speech (a shaking topic that often overlaps with considerations of
free speech), it is essential to issue apologies and reaffirm values of non-violence and
inclusivity. According to Martinez (2023), in many of his Tweets, Musk mentioned
decreasing moderation on Twitter, “pledging to make the site a bastion of free speech”
(Martinez, 2023). At the same time, hateful content has increased dramatically. Musk should
distance himself from the far right while signaling an intention toward responsible free
speech characterized by positive and inclusive values. Otherwise, a contention could be made
against Musk that he has transformed Twitter into the same kind of political echo chamber
that ‘free speech’ advocates despise.
At the same time, Musk does not want to alienate those users who may agree with his
pro-freedom agenda, and who may find it egregious for the leader to censor conservative
viewpoints simply because they do not agree with the perceived mainstream narrative. In this
sense, he must be careful about who he removes from Twitter and have a concrete and
transparent set of politically unbiased community guidelines.
The following are planned ideological lynchpins, steps and points that Musk can hinge on to
restore Twitter’s image in the face of attacks from both pro-freedom conservatives and
libertarians and pro-equity progressives.
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1. Issue a public statement rejecting Twitter’s/Musk’s association with and support for
the far right, including its more notable figures. Set community guidelines.
Musk could have emphasized the fundamental principles that guide his opposition to
extreme ideologies rather than singling out individual far-right figures in his condemnations.
He may, for instance, emphasize the importance of free speech and open discussion as
democratic pillars while emphasizing that unfavorable speech should not receive special
protections. Here, Musk should also set up community guidelines to protect free speech while
keeping members safe from hateful and harmful content promoting violence. Musk should
also be mindful of his (now) predominantly right wing followership and can take the step of
denouncing far left violence.
2. Secure international safe and equitable community with embedded free speech
One of the pillars of Musk’s plan for addressing his reputation gap should be in
coming up with practicable solutions over adherence to dogmatic principles. Musk can
highlight working together on a global level to secure safer communities characterized by
freedom, mutual respect, equity, and openness. He can outline that these values are not
necessarily incongruent with each other.
3. Recognize the validity of social and political critique while advising against divisive
methods of communication.
Musk may gain support if he acknowledges the valid complaints made by profreedom conservative groups who feel left out or unheard by mainstream discourse and
media. He should nonetheless recommend prudence when employing extreme measures that
further polarize society, such as spreading conspiracies or taking part in harassment
campaigns against perceived competitors, even while admitting legitimate problems. Jasko et
al (2022) note there has been an upsurge in both right wing and left wing violence in Western
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societies, indicating the destructive power of radical ideologies. Right wing extremists tend to
exhibit dogma and rigid perspectives (Jasko et al., 2022), although left wing actors can be
dogmatic as well. The theoretical underpinning to Musk’s statement about divisive,
polarizing, and radicalizing discourse should include carefully considering both right wing
and left wing forms of extremist thought and behavior.
4. Becoming involved in counter-extremist projects.
Counter-extremist projects can target both left wing and right wing extremism. For
instance, Figure 2 shows a Tweet made by a user in 2011, while many more Tweets like this
one appeared after the Trump election (like ‘Kill All Men’). Musk could emphasize his
efforts to come to a mediative solution between the sociopolitical sides.
Figure 2
5. Remove radical content from Twitter in a careful way.
Musk needs to respect users from both sides of the political spectrum by being careful about
what/who he removes. All removals should be made under the rationale of mitigating
polarization. Posts advocating for death or genocide should be removed.
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4. Strategic Roadmap
• Issue public
statement; Establish
community
guidelines
Step 2: Become involved
in counter-extremism
projects/organizations
• Stress the
importance of left
wing and right wing
violence
Step 1: Issue Public
Statement (Tweet); set
community guidelines
• Remove content
deemed to promote
violence based on
community
guidelines
Step 3: Remove hateful
content
The roadmap consists of three main parts or steps. These three steps will ensure that
Musk retains a solid reputation within the media, and that he will be able to cater to both his
pro-freedom conservative supporters and pro-equity liberal supporters who want to use
Twitter. The following is some expansion on each of the steps.
Step 1:
The following is an example of the kind of statement Musk can make on Twitter,
which caters to both sides of the political spectrum, while fostering the main message of
building community.
In my capacity as the owner of Twitter, I categorically reject far-right ideology, as
well as left-wing violence. We are dedicated to maintaining a hostile-free, welcoming
atmosphere devoid of prejudice and hate speech. We hope to engage with our stakeholders in
a consistent way to offer support for those who may have been impacted by violence and
extremism. Truly, we live in a world that is becoming increasingly polarized and unsafe. We
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should cooperate to build a society that cherishes peace and compassion while rejecting
extremist ideologies that sow discord.
Along with this message, Musk must establish community guidelines that address the
political radicalization and violence that has taken place over the past 5 – 10 years.
Step 2:
The following are some counter-extremism organizations that Musk can ally with
publicly. Right-wing anti-extremism groups include the ADL (Anti-Defamation League),
SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center), and Hope Not Hate. These three organizations only
counter far-right forms of extremism and may not be enough to satisfy all of Musk’s
stakeholders, particularly those who consider these organizations ‘far left.’ To strengthen his
overall image, Musk can take an unexpected turn and ally with the Center for the Study of
Hate and Extremism, the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights and
Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN). This way, Musk can secure a better image with
both types of stakeholders while remaining a proponent of free speech and community
building.
Step 3:
Musk should be careful about what content to remove. He can Invest in cutting-edge
artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can recognize and automatically flag potentially
offensive content. However, these algorithms should be responsible in removing content,
meaning only content deemed hateful or inciting violence should undergo removal. Musk
will establish clear community guidelines that define what problematic discourse is, and this
should be backed up by popular user support and documentation. Users will understand the
difference between posting racial slurs, for instance, and having a reasoned debate about
American immigration policy.
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5. Arrangements and Recommendations
The first step would involve crafting a public statement that Musk could issue on
Twitter to his followers, primarily to consolidate support among the progressive users that
have associated him with the far right. This declaration should also recognize the legitimate
concerns of conservative pro-freedom organizations and pledge to resolve them. Here, I
would have Musk work closely with a professional writer to craft the statement, and issue it
on Twitter as soon as possible. It would indicate that he is aware of some of his progressive
users’ concerns about racial slurs and harmful/demeaning content being proliferated on
Twitter.
For the second step, I would compile a list of organizations that Musk could become
involved in and ensure he can contact the requisite groups. I would emphasize the creation of
safe digital spaces that value open discourse and debate. Open debate and respectful
discourse are vital for a thriving society, as they promote diverse perspectives, critical
thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. They foster empathy, understanding, and
personal growth while countering extremism and polarization. By embracing open dialogue,
communities can advance knowledge, strengthen democracy, and work towards collective
progress. I would have Musk develop a statement discursively analyzing and promoting
Twitter as a safe digital space for all.
6. Monitoring and Evolving Reputation Moving Forward
Monitoring the situation and moving forward would involve conducting surveys,
analyzing user feedback and tracking sentiment on social media. Musk and Twitter should
retain honest and open communication channels, delivering progress updates, fixing issues,
and proactively soliciting feedback. Continuous review and improvement are necessary to
discover areas for development, adaptation to new problems, and maintain the highest
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standards of user experience and safety. Sentiment tracking is a novel technique that has
recently popularized. Sentiment tracking is the act of examining the thoughts, attitudes, and
opinions that people or groups have expressed about a certain subject, company, or
organization. Typically, users utilize tools like machine learning algorithms and natural
language processing (NLP) to gauge how social media—among other platforms—users
respond to specific content. Sentiments can be analyzed in a variety of ways, but are typically
included or assessed as neutral, positive, or negative. It is recommended that Musk gauges
sentiment through tracking how Twitter users feel about Twitter, and whether they feel that
the community is safe. Musk can also conduct surveys in an ongoing way, which could
appear in the form of polls on Twitter and/or other social media platforms (to diversify and
reach a broader audience). Surveys can ask users to comment or rate how they view Musk’s
leadership on Twitter, whether his leadership has positively or negatively influenced the
company and its culture and whether it has led to development and innovation. The survey
can also broach the sensitive topic of free speech and gauge whether users believe the
platform is going in the right direction.
The technique of tracking media coverage involves monitoring and analyzing the
many ways in which Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter is discussed in a variety of news
outlets, online articles, blogs, and discussions taking place on social media platforms. Using
this method, it could be possible to get a better understanding of how the emotions and
perspectives of the public are influenced by the narratives presented in the media. By using
media monitoring tools and analyzing news from a variety of sources, including traditional
media as well as social media platforms, organizations can develop a comprehensive
understanding of public opinion, identify recurring themes, evaluate the general tone of
reporting, and develop a thorough grasp of public sentiment. This information enables
proactive communication to impact media narratives positively, informs reputation
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management activities, and enables rapid response to mistakes or misinterpretations, which
are all necessary for effective reputation management.
7. Personal Advice to Musk
The following is some personal advice that I would give to Musk. To maintain a
welcoming and inclusive Twitter community, be attentive to user comments, handle issues
openly, and disclose proactive measures made. To preserve user confidence and foster a
secure digital environment, embrace expert cooperation, invest in digital technology, and
constantly tweak your strategy.
Conclusion
There are contrasting viewpoints on the actions and endeavors of Elon Musk, which
contribute to his image being tainted altogether. To restore the harm done to his image, Musk
should distance himself from the far right and stress the need for responsible free speech. He
needs to advocate for communication tactics that do not divide people, recognize, and accept
valid criticism, and take part in beneficial conversations. In addition, Musk may work with
organizations that combat extremism and invest money in AI systems to remove potentially
upsetting content while keeping the platform open and creating clear community norms. In
the future, it will be necessary to monitor user opinion and strive to continuously improve the
user experience and safety.
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Reference List
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