The Northern Iowa Globe Gazette celebrated its return to Twitter on Friday after a “permanent” ban imposed earlier in the week was lifted around 1:30 p.m. local time.
“AND WE ARE BACK!!!!” news editor Lisa Grouette tweeted.
The mysterious suspension of the news outlet, which began operating in 1858, drew the attention of other Iowa publications, including the Registration in Des Moineswho spoke to Grouette on Thursday.
“Digital content is something we’re very proud of and it’s very frustrating not being able to get that product out,” he said. “It could cost us subscribers.”
According to Grouette, once his company’s Twitter page was reinstated, it was restored without the post’s 6,000 followers. She tweeted from her personal account that she had been assured that those followers would also return.
Grouette said he had trouble getting answers after noticing the newspaper’s account was down on Tuesday, but was later told by Twitter that the suspension was a “mistake.”
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Local television stations KTVO and CBS 2 covered the Twitter dilemma from the Globe Gazette, which also drew attention from the business publication Forbes.
“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME!!” Grouette tweeted to everyone who supported his efforts to return to the social media platform bought for $44 billion by right-wing businessman Elon Musk in October.
Musk is often critical of the mainstream media. Twitter’s acquisition of him has included massive layoffs and occasional technical problems.
Readers tweeted to The Globe, as it is locally knownasking if Twitter offered any explanation for the suspension.
“I just wish their appeals process was more complete so you can see what the problem might be,” Grouette explained. I’m glad we’re back though.
The Globe Gazette is a daily publication of Lee Enterprises in Mason City, Iowa. The 1957 Broadway hit “The Music Man” was written by Mason City native Meredith Willson, who modeled the fictional setting of the River City musical after from his hometown.
According to Grouette, the Globe Gazette has repeatedly tried to get verified by Twitter without success. Musk introduced a program in February that allows users to pay an $8 monthly fee for a blue check mark indicating verification. He has played with other ideas for confirm authenticity of Twitter users.