Axios CEO says that "My message to Elon Musk is b*llshit - you are not the media"

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei delivered a passionate critique of Elon Musk’s claims that social media users on X, formerly known as Twitter, are replacing traditional media, arguing that professional journalism cannot be replaced by informal social media commentary.

Speaking at the National Press Club last Thursday, VandeHei addressed Musk's assertion that X users can act as a new kind of media without professional training or standards.

“Everything we do is under fire. Elon Musk sits on Twitter every day — or X today — saying like, ‘We are the media,’ ‘You are the media,’” VandeHei said. “My message to Elon Musk is: Bullshit. You are not the media.”

He continued, “Having a blue checkmark, a Twitter handle, and 300 words of cleverness doesn’t make you a reporter. ... Being a journalist requires doing the hard work. You don’t achieve that just by popping off on Twitter or having an opinion.”

The comments gained traction after MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough voiced support for VandeHei’s remarks, saying they “needed to be said.”

On Monday, Musk responded on X to VandeHei’s speech, dismissing the critique with a lighthearted rebuttal. “Yeah, whatever lmao. You are the media now. And legacy media know it,” Musk wrote, attaching a clip of VandeHei’s speech.

Musk has increasingly used the phrase “you are the media” since Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Following the election, Musk argued that X offered an unfiltered view of reality compared to traditional media.

“The reality of this election was plain to see on X, while most legacy media lied relentlessly to the public,” Musk posted days after the election. “You are the media now.”

Trump has since proposed appointing Musk as co-head of a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” alongside biotech entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.