Topic: WorldNetDaily
The anti-vaxxers at WorldNetDaily have long railed against the measles vaccine -- until a measles outbreak occurred in a Somali-American community, which WND suddenly decided to blame on Islam. Read more >>
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
NEW ARTICLE: WND's Fake News About Measles
Topic: WorldNetDaily The anti-vaxxers at WorldNetDaily have long railed against the measles vaccine -- until a measles outbreak occurred in a Somali-American community, which WND suddenly decided to blame on Islam. Read more >>
Posted by Terry K.
at 8:52 AM EDT
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Koch-Funded MRC Complains About Criticism of Kochs
Topic: Media Research Center
The same day, John Hirschauer complained in response to a commentator highlighting "Koch money" in politics:
But neither Nielsen and Hirschauer mention that their employer receives Koch money through Donors Trust, a group that coordinates political donations from conservative philanthropists that is funded in part by Koch brothers interests -- so much so it's considered part of the "Koch network." Donors Trust has given the MRC around $500,000 since 2004, including more than $100,000 in 2014 alone. Hirschauer's Koch-defending statement is pretty absurd given that the default position of the MRC, as a general matter, is that any arrangement that is politically disadvantageous to Republican is the fault of George Soros.
Posted by Terry K.
at 6:38 PM EDT
WND Flails to Keep Seth Rich Conspiracies Alive
Topic: WorldNetDaily
A June 11 article by Alicia Powe featured what was originally in the headline as a "haunting video" of Rich shot a year before his death, in which he discusses ballot integrity issues. Powe also rehashed never-proven claims about Rich from Kim Dotcom; for the first time, Powe concedes that Dotcom is a fugitive from justice who "faces extradition to the U.S. on a litany of unrelated charges, including copyright infringement and money laundering." A June 15 article by Powe begged readers to sign a White House petition asking for a special prosecutor to investigate Rich's death (created by "J.F.," who may or may not be WND editor Joseph Farah) before the window to collect signatures and force a White House response ended on June 18. The deadline passed with only two-thirds of the needed 100,000 signatures gathered; WND has not yet reported on that failure. Powe hit the streets for a June 18 article, in which she talked to "Americans living in and around the area where DNC staffer Seth Rich was brutally murdered" (did she asked the immigration status of potential interviewees to make sure she was talking only to "Americans"?) about Rich's death. She led off with a guy who was absolutely sure that Rich leaked the DNC emails to WikiLeaks, while also insisting that "I am not a conspiracy theorist," and also interviewed another man who said God intervened in the election to keep Hillary Clinton from winning. So, not exactly a representative sample of Americans. Powe also stated that she tried to talk to the manager of the bar where Rich was seen several hours before his death, but "the WND reporting team was escorted out of the building" by the manager after accusing WND of "obstruction" and "disrespecting" the Rich family. Powe didn't dispute the accuracy of the manager's claims. And a June 20 article by Powe touts a "months-long investigation" into Rich's death that offers only speculation. She waits until much further in the article to mention that the investigation was led by Jack Burkman, who's a lobbyist by trade. By contrast to Powe's pushing of conspiracy theories, the Washingtonian accurately points out that Burkman's report "backs up its conclusions on a series of hunches, rather than actual evidence," contains "no new evidence," and is "more likely to stoke the conspiracies rather than put them to bed" -- which, of course, is what Burkman and WND want. Unlike WND, the Washingtonian sought comment from Rich familiy spokesman Brad Bauman, who highlights that Burkman's report, conducted by college students, provided "valuable experience in research collection and report writing for students at George Washington University" but nothing in the way of new or useful information. But WND's too desperate to keep the conspiracy alive to conduct actual journalism.
Posted by Terry K.
at 3:45 PM EDT
CNS Lets Bill Donohue Lie About Catholic Sexual Abuse
Topic: CNSNews.com
In fact, as we've reported, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church -- commissioned by Catholic lay people, underwritten by bishops and released in 2012 -- found no correlation between homosexuality in the priesthood and increased abuse of boys, and its authors warned against making the connection because homosexual behavior does not necessarily equal homosexual orientation. Because Cohen sought out no other views or was apparently not even aware of the John Jay report that contradicts Donohue, he effective gave Donohue a platform to lie. Not exactly the way to build credibility at CNS, is it? UPDATE: Cohen also failed to disclose that his boss, Media Research Center chief Brent Bozell, is on the Catholic League's board of advisers. That failure to disclose a blatant conflict of interest is also not a credibility-enhancer.
Posted by Terry K.
at 12:41 AM EDT
Updated: Tuesday, June 20, 2017 9:03 AM EDT
Monday, June 19, 2017
LeBron James Derangement Syndrome Watch
Topic: WorldNetDaily
-- Jesse Lee Peterson, June 4 WorldNetDaily column
Posted by Terry K.
at 10:56 PM EDT
Tim Graham's Hypocritical Failure on Media Transparency
Topic: Media Research Center
Surely Graham could have cited, as an example for the Times to follow, all those conservative news organizations that have public editors and ombudsmen or public editors, like the Washington Times and Fox News and Breitbart and the MRC's very own "news" division CNSNews.com. Oh, wait -- they don't, they never have, and they have shown no interest in having one in the future. Perhaps Graham, being the terrible media critic he is, doesn't want to admit that the "liberal media" has traditionally had higher standards when it comes to media transparency than the right-wing media ever has. Even if the Times had a public editor for only 20 years, it's still 20 years longer than any right-wing media outlet has had one. If Graham is so concerned about the media being "unaccountable to the public" and lacking "offices for dealing with reader complaints," why isn't he telling Fox News or Breitbart to pick up where the Times left off and have their own public editors? Why doesn't he demand that MRC hire an ombudsman? Because he's a terrible, hypocritical media critic, that's why.
Posted by Terry K.
at 5:59 PM EDT
WND Lies About SPLC To Defend Anti-Gay Groups
Topic: WorldNetDaily
Unruh is lying. As we've pointed out, the SPLC has explained that it lists the FRC as a hate group "because it has knowingly spread false and denigrating propaganda about LGBT people — not, as some claim, because it opposes same-sex marriage." The AFA has similiarly spread anti-gay hate. As usual with any WND story involving the SPLC, Unruh copies-and-pastes a summary of Floyd Corkins' attempt to shoot up the FRC headquarters -- the "domestic terror" Unruh claims in his opening paragraph the SPLC is "linked" to because Corkins found a list of anti-gay organizations on the SPLC websites. Of course, by that same standard, WND is linked to international terror because Norway massacre perpetrator cited WND six times in his anti-Muslim, anti-multiculturalism manifesto. Late in his article, Unruh finally gets to the real reason why WND hates the SPLC: "SPLC recently was listed among the top 10 enemies that have attacked WND over the years. WND and WND Books were put on SPLC’s latest list of 'extremists.'" Unruh doesn't challenge the accuracy of the SPLC's characterization of WND.
Posted by Terry K.
at 3:59 PM EDT
Saturday, June 17, 2017
MRC's Graham Sneers At Rachel Maddow's Looks
Topic: Media Research Center
Graham takes an unnecessary, gratuitious and mean-spirited shot at Rachel Maddow's looks in a June 14 post attacking her interview with Rolling Stone:
What is the purpose of saying such a thing, Tim? What does that add to the conversation? Why do you think you should be taken seriously as a media critic when you're so eager to denigrate someone simply for refusing to conform to your idea of femininity? And as a chubby white guy, Graham hardly has any room to complain about the looks of other people. Indeed, there's no reason to read the rest of Graham's critique, especially after his first attack on her was the above line, which appeared in the second paragraph. (Not that was anything different than Graham's usual anti-media blather, of course.) Graham exemplifies the arrogance of the right-wing media -- he doesn't believe he should hold himself to the same standards he insists on imposing on the "liberal media." He has no principles, only a partisan agenda that he tries to enforce through intimidation and not reason. Hate and thuggishness does not make for a principled organization. Graham hasn't figured that out yet.
Posted by Terry K.
at 10:38 AM EDT
WND Whines That Terrorists Are Treated As Mentally Ill
Topic: WorldNetDaily
Yet, as we've noted, WND didn't want to discuss the political motivation of Charleston masacre perpetrator Dylann Roof, presumably because he shared the same obsession with painting blacks as criminals and lament for apartheid-era South Africa as WND writers have. As per WND's anti-Muslim editorial agenda, Moore lets anti-Muslim activists opine at length while failing to speak to any qualified mental health professional.
Posted by Terry K.
at 2:09 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, June 17, 2017 2:13 AM EDT
Friday, June 16, 2017
MRC Still Denying That Scalise Spoke To David Duke Group (For Which He Has Apologized)
Topic: Media Research Center
As we pointed out the last time Wilmouth made this claim, he's completely ignoring the fact that Scalise issued an apology for speaking to Duke's group:
That seems like a major omission on Wilmouth's part. Which make the rest of his post as discredited as he claims the CNN reporter is.
Posted by Terry K.
at 2:11 PM EDT
WND's Hohmann Finally Finds Middle Eastern Immigrants He Doesn't Want To Deport
Topic: WorldNetDaily
Hohmann laments in a June 15 article:
Of course, many of the Muslim refugees Hohmann loves to demonize would also face the risk of death if they were sent back to their native countries, but he doesn't mention that -- he's too busy serving up sob stories about the Chaldean Christians aboiut to be deported. Of particular ironic hilarity is Hohmann lamenting that President Trump won't deport the DREAMers -- people brought illegally as children into the U.S. who were subsequently raised here and have had little contact with their native country or language -- then quoting an activist effectively complaining that the Chaldean Christians marked for deportation are being treated the way he wishes the DREAMers were:
If this treatment is bad and unfair to the Chaldeans, why isn't similarly unfair and bad for the DREAMers? Hohmann never brings that up.
Posted by Terry K.
at 12:52 AM EDT
Thursday, June 15, 2017
CNS Exploits Shooting to Push Guns, Bash Left As Violent
Topic: CNSNews.com
An anonymously written article -- credited only to "CNSNews.com Staff" -- serves up pro-gun propaganda with the headline "Congressman: ‘By the Grace of God, One of the Folks Here Had a Weapon to Fire Back’." From there, it was time to impugn liberal rhetoric as the inspiration for the shooting spree. Craig Bannister uncritically touted Newt Gingrich blaming “an increasing intensity of hostility on the left" for the shooting, and Gage Cohen highlighted that the shooter, James Hodgkinson, "'liked' the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on Facebook," making sure to add: "On a related note, domestic terrorist Floyd Corkins, who shot up the conservative Family Research Council (FRC) in 2012, told the FBI that he learned about the group on the SPLC’s website, which has a 'Hate Map' that labels the FRC as 'Anti-LGBT.'" Actually, the two incidents aren't related at all, and Cohen doesn't dispute the SPLC's description of the FRC as "anti-LGBT" -- good for him, since that's pretty much indisputable. But hey, why quibble with facts when there's a tragedy to politicize?
Posted by Terry K.
at 10:09 PM EDT
Another Obama Derangement Syndrome Victim At WND Whines About Trump Derangement
Topic: WorldNetDaily
Of course, right-wingers like Loudon wanted to torment Obama until he resigned, was impeached or – let’s just be honest about it – they wouldn’t shed a tear and might even celebrate if he died. They were the bullies on the playground shouting, “Benghazi! Emails! Benghazi! Emails!” Loudon appears to have conveniently forgotten that she has been as unhinged about Obama as she accuses lefties of being toward Trump. We remember when Loudon made an armchair diagnosis of Obama as a dangerous psychopath like Stalin and Pol Pot, and also, if that weren't enough, the "most vacationing, golfing, tyrannical president in the history of the republic." She hoped Obama's birthday "will be rather dark, like a lot of children’s birthdays around the U.S. for your policies of demise and death" and ranted that Obama "is handing the global community the ability to control our speech, and our technological advances." She insisted that Obama used "ISIL" instead of "ISIS" because he secretly hates Israel, and that he has a father complex that makes him hate America and love Islam. And Loudon is still in derangement mode:
Actually, Hillary Clinton did not sell uranium to Russia, weather is not climate, and she can ask Michael "Get AIDS And Die" Savage and Ted "Suck On My Machine Gun, Obama" Nugent about that whole fomenting-hate-and-violence thing. Loudon claims to have a doctorate in psychiatry. Perhaps she should look up the idea of projection, because that's exactly what she's doing here.
Posted by Terry K.
at 4:48 PM EDT
MRC Tries to Politicize Congressman's Shooting -- As It Bashes Others for Politicizing It
Topic: Media Research Center If there's one thing that the Media Research Center reliably does in the face of a shooting tragedy, it's complaining that others are politicizing said tragedy by discussing gun control -- and it did just that after yesterday's shooting of a congressman and others in Virginia. "Shameful: Journalists Immediately Politicize Congressional Shooting With Gun Control Calls" read the headline of a post from Scott Whitlock, i which he huffed, "Apparently, it’s never too soon for liberal journalists to politicize a tragedy."Madeleine Post followed with a post headlined "Celebs Brazenly Politicize Scalise Shooting, Declare ‘Too Many Guns’," complaining that "celebrities were more concerned with the politics of gun control than the fact that a U.S. congressman was shot." Of course, the MRC has its own ways of politicizing tragedies, and it did so here as well. MRC researcher Nicholas Fondacaro rushed to blame the media in a tweet complaining, "Meanwhile, @CBSNews recently complimented a play depicting the assassination of Trump," with the added hashtag #MediaPlayedARole. Fondacaro was silent -- as was the rest of the MRC -- about a 2012 production of "Julius Caesar" that assassinated an Obama-esque titular character. But, hey, why let double standards get in the way of a good attack line?
Posted by Terry K.
at 12:32 AM EDT
Updated: Thursday, June 15, 2017 12:53 AM EDT
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
A Tale of Two Mass Shootings At WND
Topic: WorldNetDaily
An article by Leo Hohmann made sure to highlight that the alleged shooter, James Hodgkinson, was a "supporter and campaign volunteer of Bernie Sanders" who liked "far-left political organizations like, um, Right Wing Watch and Media Matters and was "an admirer of former President Obama." That was joined by an article by Joe Wilson that focused on how Hodgkinson "apparently was a fan of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which nearly five years ago was linked to a domestic terror attack at the Washington office of the Family Research Council." Never mind that the two incidents have nothing whatsoever to do with each other and WND is simply playing guilt by association. Guilt by association, of course, was something WND utterly refused to do regarding Dylann Roof's 2015 massacre of nine blacks in a South Carolina church -- presumably because it would have been the one that looked guilty. As we documented, Roof's views on blacks mirrored that of WND authors like Colin Flaherty and Jack Cashill, and his love of apartheid-era South Africa echoed that of then-WND columnist Ilana Mercer (and, more recently, WND author Alex Newman). But WND refused to explore that aspect of Roof -- instead, it rushed to dismiss him as a mentally ill drug abuser, and Cashill doubted Roof's ability to write the hateful manifesto attributed to him. No talk of drugs or mental illness regarding Hodgkinson so far at WND. That would ruin its narrative that he was driven by left-wing ideology.
Posted by Terry K.
at 10:58 PM EDT
Updated: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 11:24 PM EDT
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