Turning headlines into cash, the white whale for Twitter

The social media website expects between $75 million and $95 million in adjusted earnings this quarter before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

In a charged political and social environment, the company is balancing its position as a platform for free speech while curtailing hate speech and bullying.

Advertising revenue fell slightly to $638 million in the fourth quarter, and the company said tough competition and Twitter's push to re-evaluate its product portfolio could affect future revenue growth.

The company didn't offer a revenue forecast for the first quarter, but it said it expected advertising sales growth to continue to lag audience growth in 2017.