USA: After receiving criticism for referring to the US radio network NPR as "state-affiliated media," Twitter has since changed its stance and now refers to it as "government-funded."

That new moniker has also been applied by Elon Musk's social media platform to the BBC, which is primarily supported by licence fees paid by British households. According to news reports, Twitter has been contacted by Britain's adored national broadcaster for clarification.

After National Public Radio complained that the term "state-affiliated" was derogatory and inaccurate, Twitter quietly changed how it refers to the Washington-based station on Saturday night.

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Last week, Twitter compared NPR to state-run media outlets in China and Russia.

NPR stopped tweeting in protest. NPR's main account, which has more than 8.8 million followers, urged users to "find us every other place where you read the news" in its updated Twitter bio.

Twitter's decision was deemed "unacceptable" by NPR CEO John Lansing, and the radio station's account has since been silent.

NPR's music and politics handles, for example, did not have the "state-affiliated" specification and have continued to tweet.

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Following Twitter's removal of The New York Times' verified status, which like NPR is frequently accused of left-leaning bias, particularly by US conservatives, Musk took action against NPR.

Twitter policy states that the decisions will minimise tweets from both companies, thereby reducing their visibility on a platform that is still a vital channel of communication for media organisations, public figures, and celebrities.

For years, Musk has expressed his profound contempt for the media, and in recent weeks, he added an automatic poop emoji response to emails sent to the website's main press address.

However, NPR reported on Thursday that Musk had hinted in a series of emails that the relabeling might not have been "accurate" and that Twitter would further investigate the situation.

It sounds like that might not be accurate in this case, Musk wrote to NPR. "The operating principle at Twitter is simply fair and equal treatment, so if we label non-US accounts as government, then we should do the same for the US," Musk said.

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The majority of NPR's funding, according to its website, comes from membership fees paid by its member stations across the country. These stations are in turn supported by private donors and public funds.

One of the most reputable news organisations in America, NPR, told AFP that less than 1% of its operating budget comes from federal sources.