The Town of Chapel Hill announced it will no longer post or monitor its accounts on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The local government shared the decision in its weekly “Our Town” newsletter on Thursday.
“While the main Town X account and individual Town departments’ X accounts will remain visible, we won’t be monitoring them or making new posts,” the town said. “Instead of posting there, we’re focusing on more accessible social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, and Nextdoor. Just search @chapelhillgov to find us on those platforms.”
The change means that not only will the town stop posting on its various accounts, but those accounts will also no longer be actively monitored. That includes accounts for Chapel Hill Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation, and more.
The announcement came on the same day that X changed its policy around X Pro, formerly known as TweetDeck. It is a behind-the-scenes program that allows people, businesses or organizations to schedule out their posts and monitor specific parts of the platform. While X Pro was previously available as its own service, it will now require an X Premium + subscription, which costs over four times as much annually.
“The best way to stay up to date with information from your local government is through this weekly newsletter and on our website, chapelhillnc.gov,” the town’s release continued.
The move follows the Town of Carrboro’s 2024 decision to leave the platform. Carrboro can now be found on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. As of Mar. 27, the town does not have a profile on Threads.
X was known as Twitter until 2023, with its name and numerous policies being shifted by Elon Musk after he took over the company in 2022. The competing text-based social media platform Bluesky began as a research initiative at Twitter Inc. to experiment with user-selected algorithm feeds. After severing ties following Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, Bluesky is now a direct competitor. Threads is another competitor, launched by Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta in 2023.
97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com will also wind down the frequency of posts on X. You can find us on Facebook under “WCHL and Chapelboro.com.” On Instagram we have two accounts, @chapelboronews for our news coverage and @wchlchapelboro for posts related to our radio station. We are on Bluesky as @wchlchapelboro.bsky.social, and on Threads as @chapelboronews. Follow us on each to make sure you’re up to date on local news, sports, music, and more.
Featured photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.
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