And this one looks like a real Doozy. Snopes the fact check appears to be checking crap
Humiliated ‘fact-checking’ Snopes suspends co-founder busted for fake news, plagiarism
Friday was an extremely bad day for “fact-checkers” everywhere, as one of the media’s most beloved “fact-checkers,” Snopes, was itself publicly fact-checked.
It was fact-checked by BuzzFeed News, which published findings of an investigation showing that Snopes’ head honcho, co-founder David Mikkelson, is a “troll” who’s been blatantly lying to the site’s “millions of readers” about a variety of topics.
“Mikkelson … has long presented himself as the arbiter of truth online, a bulwark in the fight against rumors and fake news. But he has been lying to the site’s tens of millions of readers,” BuzzFeed News reported.
Though not mentioned by BuzzFeed, the site in general also has a track record for extreme left-wing bias — as, in fact, do virtually all mainstream “fact-checkers“:
“A BuzzFeed News investigation has found that between 2015 and 2019, Mikkelson wrote and published dozens of articles containing material plagiarized from news outlets such as the Guardian and the LA Times,” BuzzFeed continued.
The investigation, which was conducted quietly with help from other Snopes’ officials, found 54 articles from Mikkelson containing plagiarized material from outlets including but not limited to The Guardian and the Los Angeles Times.
These findings have led to Mikkelson being suspended from editorial duties pending “a comprehensive internal investigation” and his stories being tagged for removal, according to a joint statement from two other top Snopes officials.
“Our internal research so far has found a total of 54 stories Mikkelson published that used appropriated material. … Let us be clear: Plagiarism undermines our mission and values, full stop. It has no place in any context within this organization,” they said.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2021/08/14 ... m-1118437/
This Is Why You Can’t Trust The Fact Checkers
For the last eight years I have worked as a writer, researcher, and investigative reporter for many well-known American independent media outlets. I have spent my time investigating digital surveillance technology, attacks on indigenous communities, and the overall growth of the government and corporate power. As someone working in this field, writing about topics which are often seen as controversial or “outside the mainstream” – censorship and personal attacks are part of the job description.
However, the attacks on independent media have rapidly increased in the last four years, with many formerly active journalistic outlets ceasing to exist due to lack of traffic and thus, lack of funds. We have seen outlets outright branded “fake news” or accused of collusion with the Russian government. Some channels and websites have been unable to apply for advertising or use certain digital products based on these labels. Some channels and reporters have been deleted off social media and other digital platforms altogether. And, if the social media managers don’t delete you, they might just use the algorithm to hide your posts, limiting your ability to interact with the public.
Attack of the “Fact” Checkers
Perhaps the most insidious method is the recent use of “fact checkers” to limit the reach of an outlet, or simply brand them with the fake news scarlet letter to discourage readers from engaging. This has been increasing in the last 2 years and I personally know of several remaining indy media outlets who have had to decide whether or not to run certain articles or video reports out of fear they might be censored or banned. Of course, with the algorithmic games being played by social media platforms, most outlets are reaching a tiny fraction of what they once were.
Case in point, The Mind Unleashed. I have been part of the TMU team on and off for the last year or so. In that time we have been struggling to reach a small fraction of our 9 million Facebook followers. Part of the reason we are struggling to reach people is because we have the dubious recognition of being labeled fake news by Facebook and affiliated fact checkers.
In a recent article published in Newsweek Espanol, in partnership with Newsguard, The Mind Unleashed is described as a “site that promises to ‘promote and inspire unconventional thinking,’ but is actually dedicated to publishing falsehoods.”. The quote was in reference to a story TMU had written about the origins of COVID-19 and the potential for the virus to have been created as a bio weapon.
Newsguard is one of a number of “fact checker” services which has proliferated since the election of Donald Trump to U.S. President. Newsguard is a browser plug-in for Chrome and Microsoft Edge that gives trustworthiness ratings to most of the internet’s top-trafficked sites. It uses a color coded system to warn readers of an article or website’s trustworthiness. In a previous investigation, TLAV writer Whitney Webb exposed the neoconservative roots of the Newsguard team. Webb wrote:
“Newsguard’s advisory board makes it clear that Newsguard was created to serve the interests of American oligarchy. Chief among Newsguard’s advisors are Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of Homeland Security under George W. Bush and Ret. General Michael Hayden, a former CIA director, a former NSA director and principal at the Chertoff Group, a security consultancy seeking to “advise corporate clients and governments, including foreign governments” on security matters that was co-founded by former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who also currently serves as the board chairman of major weapons manufacturer BAE systems.”
https://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com ... -checkers/
