IAs he has thrilled media pundits and made Twitter a buzzword, Elo Musk is reportedly considering buying ABC, with a clear mission: “to put things right.” In typical Musk fashion, his first order of business would be to fire ABC host David Musk, the face of World News Today. The decision apparently stems from Muir’s role in the contentious presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, in which Muir claims Muir “called it a lie” with his moderation tactics.
“The ABC is broken. Journalism is broken. And who better to fix it than me?” Musk reportedly told close aides it was a private conversation. “David Muir is just the beginning. ABC is asking for reinstatement and I am ready to push the reinstatement button.”
The deal, which has not been officially co-confirmed by Musk, has already sparked waves of speculation about what the billionaire would do with the massive bank network under his control. Given his wild and unpredictable moves, from launching rockets with SpaceX to acquiring and overhauling Twitter/X, Musk’s latest move could signal a dramatic shift in the way mainstream media works.
The seeds for this potential confrontation were sown during the recent presidential debate, moderated by Mür and his ABC colleague Lisey Davis. The debate, which featured heated exchanges between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, became the first flashpoint for controversy, largely because of the moderators’ over-emphasis on Trump’s responses.
Throughout the debate, Muir fact-checked Trump several times, challenging his statements on topics ranging from immigration to the economy. Meanwhile, Harris appeared to glide through the debate with minimal comment, a fact that went unnoticed by Trump supporters, Musk among them.
“The moderators were completely opposed,” Musk tweeted after the debate. “It was like watching a fixed match, and David Muir was the referee who had more say over the other team.”
For Musk, the debate represented everything that is wrong with modern journalism: biased reporting, partisan moderation and a complete disregard for balanced coverage. And while his criticism of Musk may have started as a post-debate explosion, it has quickly become a full-blown campaign to seize control of one of the largest broadcast networks in the United States.
If there’s one thing Musk is after, it’s the ability to disrupt industries. Whether it’s power surges, space travel or social media, Musk has a knack for taking established systems and turning them on their head. Now, it seems, his attention has shifted to the media industry, where he believes his kind of innovation is most strongly encouraged.
“ABC is stuck in the past,” Musk allegedly told his friends. “The way it covers news, the way it moderates debates, everything is stale. People don’t trust the media anymore, and for good reason. It’s time to change that.”
So what would Musk’s ABCs look like? Nearly all the multi-millionaires say he envisions a media platform that blends traditional journalism with news technology. A thick AI engine displays clapboards, algorithm-driven real-time fact-checking, and interactive viewer feeds live via Twitter/X.
But Musk’s ABC video doesn’t end there. Experts say he’s also toying with the idea of integrating SpaceX and Tesla into the network’s programming, giving viewers behind-the-scenes access to rocket launches, electric vehicle launches and perhaps even live updates on Musk’s latest plans to colonize Mars.
“I hope to bring spacecraft into the future,” Musk said. “Imagine turning upside down to see spacecraft and receive updates from space at the same time. That’s where we’re headed.”
At the center of Musk’s media ambitions, of course, is the firing of David Muir, a longtime ABC News regular. To my viewers, Muir is the epitome of credibility and professionalism, but to Musk, he represents everything that’s wrong with mainstream media.
“Mυir is god,” Musk supposedly told the private meeting. “He’s been doing the same thing for years and people are bored with it. The future of the bar is that a guy in a suit reads the teleprompter. It’s dynamic, interactive and, most importantly, fair.”
Muir has not publicly responded to rumors about Musk’s possible promotion or removal from his post. However, those close to the presenter say he is taking things in stride, knowing full well that Musk’s plans are far from a drug deal.
“David has been in this business for a long time,” he told ABC. “He knows how to handle the press, and he’s not about to let some multimillionaire tech mogul push him around.”
Still, the prospect of Musk buying ABC and firing Muir has sparked cries of shock across the web. Some staff are reportedly concerned about what the Musk acquisition might mean for journalistic integrity, while others are excited about the prospect of working for someone as innovative (and unpredictable) as Musk.
As opinions about Moscow’s potential ABC spread, public reactions have been predictably divided. Moscow’s supporters, particularly those who share his disdain for the mainstream media, have hailed the move as a long-overdue shake-up of a broken system.
“Someone is finally going to take over the media!” Musk tweeted. “David Muir has been whistled on for far too long. It’s time for some people to bring real change, and Musk is the right person to do it.”
By contrast, critics of Musk’s plan argue that his acquisition of a major bank network could spell disaster for journalism. Given Musk’s well-documented ability to rile up reporters and police the Twitter/X narrative, some fear that ABC’s leadership under Musk could become more of a propaganda machine than a reliable source of news.
“Does Eloï Mυsk have a network of bankers? What could go wrong?” the journalist asked sarcastically. “This is the map that blocks journalists from asking difficult questions. Imagine what he will do if he breaks up ABC.”
While Musk’s plans to buy ABC and fire David Muir are still in the rumor stage, there’s no sign that the prospect has captured the public’s imagination. Will Musk make good on his threat to take control of the network, or is this just another case of the multimillionaire stirring the pot in search of attention?
Only time will tell, but if Musk’s track record is any indication, we can expect plenty of surprises along the way. After all, this is the roadmap that turned Twitter/X upside down, upended the motor industry, and put humans on the road to Mars. If anyone is going to get the ABCs of the future of media, it’s probably going to be Musk.
For now, however, ABC staffers, including David Muir, are left wondering whether a richer map of the world will work in the near future and what that might mean for the future of journalism.
