A surge in anti-Semitic and racist tweets, an incoherent rollout of a paid verification service, and thousands of layoffs. Then a scramble to rehire some employees. This is only a couple of weeks into Elon Musk's ownership of Twitter. It's impossible to deny that Musk is a highly successful businessman who made some high-visibility missteps on the way to Tesla and SpaceX. But unlike those two companies, Twitter is not about goods and services. For millions of users, it's about community. And many feel that Musk will end up destroying these virtual communities. Disgruntled Twitter users have sparked a mini-movement with the hashtag #TwitterMigration, leaving the platform for the social network Mastodon over concerns about increasing hate speech and misinformation. But others are defiantly staying put - ready to fight back to sustain the influential communities that have made the platform their home. Host Michel Martin speaks with Meredith Clark, Associate Professor in Journalism and Communication studies at Northeastern University, and the author of a forthcoming book on Black Twitter.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Takeoff, from the Atlanta trio known as Migos, was shot and killed at the beginning of November outside a bowling alley in Houston.The issue of violence, specifically gun violence, is often associated with rap culture. But those who follow the industry closely, and know its history, say the culture isn't the culprit.We speak to A.D. Carson, a professor of hip-hop at the University of Virginia, about how death and violence have impacted the rap and hip-hop industry, and how the music is just a mirror reflecting back the larger issue of gun violence that plagues all of America.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy