Dear readers,
Presbyterian Outlook’s Instagram account was recently and permanently banned by Instagram for allegedly violating community standards. Meta did not let us know which standard we violated, even after we requested clarification. Our appeal was reviewed and denied within 10 minutes, leaving us with no recourse. Our account, along with all the unique content we created for it, is gone.
Why was Presbyterian Outlook banned by Instagram?
This suspension happened on February 19, as our social media producer was uploading content from our recent issue on civil rights. While Meta has not explained, this timing is the only connection we can draw between our content and the suspension. We are left to assume that our account was reported by one or several individuals and that Meta’s institutional shift away from fact-checking laid the groundwork for our ban.
We want our followers to know why you can no longer find us on Instagram. Our leadership team considered starting over with a new Instagram account, but there’s no guarantee this won’t happen again. More importantly, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to publishing content that values the diversity of God’s creation, the equity of God’s justice, and the inclusion of Christ’s welcome.
This suspension is more than frustrating — it has tangible consequences. Social media is a key way we share our digital content. We’ve invested staff time and financial resources into boosting our content through Meta’s platforms to expand our reach and make Presbyterianism more digitally discoverable.
Moving ahead
While we have been banned by Instagram, we will continue using Facebook. We are also shifting our focus to platforms like Bluesky and its new Instagram alternative, Flashes.
If you haven’t yet, we invite you to follow us on Bluesky: @presoutlook.bsky.social. Bluesky’s decentralized model puts users and communities first, with a dedicated human moderation team that reviews flagged content and responds to appeals. Meta’s centralized model prioritizes business interests through ad-driven algorithms, leaving users with little say over the content they see and little recourse to appeal-flagged content. Also, Bluesky empowers creators to take their content with them if they choose to leave.
As the only independent, multimedia publisher serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we have recently enjoyed remarkable growth by embracing digital strategy and media expertise. This growth has allowed us to sustain our print magazine despite the rising costs of publication. We are grateful for your support — whether as readers, subscribers, or donors — which enables us to navigate challenges like this and continue our mission in service to Christ’s church.
Thank you for standing with us.
Where to find the latest Presbyterian Outlook content:
- Print magazine (11 issues a year)
- Website (pres-outlook.org includes all print magazine content plus additional articles)
- Email newsletters (stay up to date on all new content with our free email newsletters)
- BlueSky @presoutlook.bsky.social
- Flashes (@presoutlook)
- Facebook (presbyterian.outlook)
Update
We received news early on March 6 that our Instagram account was restored. We believe our editorial — and, more importantly, the support of our readers and friends — precipitated an internal review that resulted in our account being reinstated.
Now the question becomes, do we return to Instagram? Read our full thoughts on why we are leaving Instagram.
