US radio broadcaster NPR has said it would "no longer remain active" on Twitter, accusing the platform owned by Elon Musk of undermining its credibility and sowing doubt over its editorial independence.
National Public Radio's clean break from Twitter comes after the highly respected news broadcaster had already suspended tweets from its main account when it received a label on the platform that said it was "state-affiliated media".
The label has also been applied to government-owned Chinese and Russian outlets.
It comes just days after Twitter stripped The New York Times of its verified status on the platform, the first sign of Mr Musk's updated policies for news media.
Both US news organisations are often considered by conservatives as bastions of a left-leaning media establishment, a position often echoed by Mr Musk in tweets.
According to Twitter policy, the decisions will deamplify tweets from both companies, limiting their reach on a platform that remains a major communication tool for media outlets, celebrities and officials.
Mr Musk had set an 1 April deadline for individuals and companies to either pay for verification on Twitter or see their "verified" status removed, though many check-marks remained for non-paying customers days later.
NPR's main account, which still has a check-mark, was tagged on Tuesday night as "state-affiliated media," a designation that also applies to Chinese public broadcaster CCTV and Moscow's RT network.
"We were disturbed to see last night that Twitter has labelled NPR as 'state-affiliated media,' a description that, per Twitter's own guidelines, does not apply to NPR," said the broadcaster's president and CEO John Lansing.
Mr Lansing said that NPR was "supported by millions of listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we provide".
According to NPR's website, the bulk of its budget comes from fees paid by member stations throughout the United States, who are themselves supported by individual donors and government funds.
The broadcaster told AFP less than 1% of its operational budget comes from federal sources.
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