What the hell is going on at NBC News?

NBC News has suspended journalist Ben Collins from appearing on NBC and MSNBC after he made critical tweets about Elon Musk, including one in which he mocked Musk for only discovering "who his company's deputy general counsel was six weeks after he purchased it." According to a source familiar with the decision, Collins was removed from the air earlier this month.

Collins has been at the forefront of reporting on Musk's efforts to permanently suspend the Twitter accounts of media figures who have criticized him on the platform, including CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, The Washington Post's Drew Harwell, The New York Times' Ryan Mac, and independent journalist Aaron Rupar. These reporters were given no explanation for their suspensions other than being told they had violated unspecified Twitter rules.

It is not uncommon for media organizations to take action against employees for their social media activity, particularly if it goes against the values or policies of the company. However, the suspension of Collins has raised concerns about the potential for media organizations to silence critical voices. It is important for journalists to have the freedom to report and speak out about important issues, regardless of whether their views are popular or not.

While it is not clear why NBC News decided to suspend Collins, it is important for media organizations to be transparent about their decision-making processes and to ensure that they are not silencing important voices in the media.