Elon Musk Slams Semafor’s ‘Journalistic Integrity’ — Tesla Exec Says ‘Semafor Is Owned’ by FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried

Elon Musk Slams Semafor’s ‘Journalistic Integrity’ — Tesla Exec Says ‘Semafor Is Owned’ by FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried

Following the significant amount of criticism directed at mainstream media publications for a lack of journalistic integrity while reporting on FTX executives, Tesla’s executive Elon Musk called out the news website Semafor because the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was a lead investor. Musk took to Twitter and let Semafor know that he believes Semafor has a “massive conflict of interest” when it comes to “journalistic integrity.” Semafor Takes a Tongue Lashing From Elon Musk, Tesla Exec Calls Firm’s Journalistic Integrity Trash

On Nov. 23, 2022, the news website founded in 2022, Semafor, tweeted a message about the company’s newsletters, and Tesla executive Elon Musk gave the news publication some flak. In response to Semafor’s tweet, Musk wrote: “Semafor is owned by SBF. This is a massive conflict of interest in your reporting. Journalistic integrity is [trash].”

Musk, who is also the new owner of Twitter, further shared a picture from Crunchbase, which shows Semafor’s top five lead investors. At the top of the Semafor investor list is the former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.

Semafor is a fairly new news publication that started in 2022 and it was co-founded by former New York Times (NYT) columnist and former Buzzfeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith and the former CEO of Bloomberg L.P., Justin Smith.

Axios called the two Smiths “media disrupters,” and in the same article Justin Smith claimed Semafor would “reimagine quality global journalism” after the demographic Semafor is aimed at “lost trust in all sources of news and information.” Semafor’s investor list via Crunchbase.

On Semafor’s Crunchbase page, it is seen that the top investor is SBF and the news outlet raised $24.6 million in a single funding round. Semafor has written about FTX and SBF on a few occasions and the articles do highlight that SBF was an investor in the news publication. Semafor’s other investors, like SBF, have also shown affection for Democratic leaders and have donated to the Democratic party.

For instance, Jorge Paulo Lemann’s academic interests include political theory and democratic theory, and Lemann was once called the “world’s most secretive billionaire.” In 2008, Semafor investor David Bradley donated funds to Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton.

Musk’s criticism directed at Semafor follows the lambasting a number of mainstream media publications received for publishing “puff pieces” on FTX and Alameda Research executives. For instance, the New York Times published a story that was condemned by crypto supporters after it reported that SBF was sleeping better and playing video games.

The NYT story was not the only article that was knocked, as people slammed editorials published by the Washington Post, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) after they covered FTX and Alameda Research executives in a “nuanced” manner.

Musk’s reply to Semafor’s tweet was retweeted a couple of thousand times, and it has more than 22,000 likes at the time of writing. The news publication’s Twitter account did not respond to Musk’s criticism but a number of people were pleased with Musk calling out the news publication.

“Yes indeed, excellent call out,” one individual responded to Musk’s statement. Another person wrote: “Every platform [Sam Bankman-Fried] is involved in has the same aesthetic as his wardrobe.” Musk’s commentary comes at a time when a great deal of people do not trust mainstream media publications, and despite Semafor’s intentions, people believe the company’s “skeletons are coming out.”

“Time to block anyone paid by SBF,” one individual wrote in reply to Musk’s tweet about Semafor. Tags in this story Conflict of Interest, Crunchbase, David Bradley, Elon Musk, FTX Bankruptcy, FTX co-founder, FTX collapse, Jorge Paulo Lemann, Journalistic integrity, lost trust in all sources of news, Musk, Musk"s Reply, Musk’s criticism, New York Times, NYT, Sam Bankman-Fried, sbf, Semafor, Semafor Publication, Semafor"s Top Investor, Semafor’s tweet, Tesla Executive, top investor is SBF

What do you think about Musk’s commentary concerning the news publication Semafor? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Jamie Redman

Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today. Kraken"s Jesse Powell Takes Aim at Newly Launched Proof-of-Reserve Lists, POR Audit "Requires Cryptographic Proof" NEWS | 3 hours ago Bankruptcy Lawyers Say FTX Was Operated by "Inexperienced and Unsophisticated Individuals" NEWS | 6 hours ago

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleNew York Governor Signs Law Partially Banning Bitcoin Mining on Fossil Fuels Next articleBiggest Movers: LTC Moves to 6-Month High, SOL up Nearly 20% Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItTony Hawk"s Latest NFTs to Come With Signed Physical Skateboards

Last December, the renowned professional skateboarder Tony Hawk released his “Last Trick” non-fungible token (NFT) collection via the NFT marketplace Autograph. Next week, Hawk will be auctioning the skateboards he used during his last tricks, and each of the NFTs ... read more.Today"s Top Ethereum and Bitcoin Mining Devices Continue to Rake in Profits Bitcoin ATM Operator Indicted in New York Allegedly Running Illegal Business Attracting Criminals Goldman Predicts US Recession Odds at 35% in 2 Years, John Mauldin Wouldn"t Be Surprised if Stocks Fell 40% Ethereum Foundation"s Financial Report Discloses It Holds $1.6 Billion in Assets, 80.5% Held in Ether