Biography company films twitter

February 13th, 2025

The Untold Story of Twitter: CNN's New Documentary Peels Back the Curtain

Remember when Twitter was just a quirky little app with a bird logo? Those early days feel almost quaint now. CNN's new four-part series Twitter: Breaking the Bird (premiering March 9 at 10pm ET/PT) takes us back to when 140 characters could change the world - and shows how that idealistic startup became the chaotic global town square we know today.

What fascinates me most is how Twitter's story mirrors the evolution of social media itself. In 2006, a handful of tech idealists created what they thought would be a simple messaging platform. Within years, it became the world's digital heartbeat - for better and worse. This series promises to show us that transformation through the eyes of the people who lived it, including co-founders Ev Williams and Biz Stone.

"We wanted to build something that connected people," Stone recalls in the documentary. "What we got was... more complicated than any of us imagined." That's putting it mildly. The series explores Twitter's journey from Silicon Valley darling to cultural lightning rod, complete with boardroom dramas, leadership musical chairs, and those infamous "fail whales" that plagued the early service.

As someone who's watched Twitter shape global conversations for nearly two decades, I'm particularly intrigued by how the documentary handles the platform's darker side. The same features that made Twitter revolutionary - its immediacy, its openness - also made it a breeding ground for harassment and misinformation. Can a platform designed for free speech survive the weight of its own influence? That's the million-dollar question the series seems determined to explore.

What makes this documentary stand out, in my opinion, is its access. Beyond the founders, we'll hear from rank-and-file employees who saw the chaos firsthand, plus journalists like Kara Swisher who've covered every twist and turn. The production team (a collaboration between CNN, BBC, and independent producers) clearly went deep - this isn't just another surface-level tech doc.

James Goldston of Candle True Stories puts it well: "This isn't just a story about an app. It's about how communication itself changed in the 21st century." From Arab Spring protests to presidential tweets that moved markets, Twitter didn't just reflect our world - it actively reshaped it.

Here's what I'm most curious to see: How will the documentary handle Twitter's Elon Musk era? The series reportedly covers the platform's sale, but I wonder if they'll address the current state of what's now called X. That might be a story for another documentary entirely.

For those interested in tech history, media studies, or just great storytelling, Twitter: Breaking the Bird looks like essential viewing. It premieres March 9 on CNN and will be available for streaming afterward. As someone who's spent... probably too many hours on the platform, I know I'll be watching.

About the Production

The series comes from the teams behind acclaimed documentaries like Navalny and Three Identical Strangers, which gives me confidence in its quality. It's executive produced by industry veterans including Amy Entelis (CNN) and James Goldston (former ABC News president), with Kate Quine directing.

For media inquiries, please contact CNN's press office.