Over 60 universities rise from platform X - a clear sign of truth!

Over 60 universities rise from platform X - a clear sign of truth!

On January 10, 2025, more than 60 German -language universities and research institutions announced their withdrawal from the platform X (formerly Twitter). The step that the University of the Arts also takes together together is a reaction to the changes on the platform that is perceived as intolerable. As udk-berlin.de Institutions A discrepancy between the values ​​of the academic community - such as cosmopolitanism, scientific integrity and transparency - and the current orientation of X.

The platform has recently changed by operating algorithmic reinforcement of right -wing populist content and restricting the organic reach of the contributions. These developments can also be substantiated through the observations of netzpolitik.org that the social platform no longer preserves the values ​​of diversity, freedom and science. That is why the universities were forced to rethink the use of the platform and to distance themselves from it.

relevance of transparency and science communication

The exit is a clear sign of a commitment to fact -based communication and against anti -democratic currents. "The decision only affects the X-accounts of the institutions. Other social media channels are not affected," the explanation said. Supporting institutions include the Free University of Berlin, RWTH Aachen and the University of Potsdam.

The Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf played a coordinating role. Despite the exit, there has been no official recommendation for alternative platforms. However, opportunities such as Mastodon and Bluesky are discussed, with the University of Innsbruck as the first German-speaking university operating its own mastodon instance. While Bluesky has a high number of new registrations, the long -term financing strategy remains unclear, and similar problems as with X are not excluded.

challenges for university communication

The departure of X illustrates the ongoing challenges that university communication faces. According to sciencekommunikation.de , in view of the potential neglect of scientific topics in the media. Henning Eichler, an expert in this area, emphasizes that young people are increasingly informing themselves on the Internet and that public media are in a legitimation crisis.

The universities are required to rethink their communication strategies and to rely more on digital platforms. Science communication must make relevant topics more heard and actively strive for contacts in the editorial offices. The coordination between scientists and university communication is crucial to maximize the reach of the topics. The challenge is to present content appealing and prepared for digital media in order to arouse the interest of the public.