NewsGuard gets a taste of its own medicine
The Defender just published an excellent story exposing this Censorship bully … and one of the author’s interview sources was Bill Rice, Jr.
I was flattered that Dr. Michael Nevradakis, a journalist for The Defender website, used a couple of my quotes in a just-published story about NewsGuard.
NewsGuard is one of the country’s now ubiquitous “fact-checkers” which exists to censor dissenting journalists. The headline of The Defender’s story is that NewGuard receives government (tax payer) money to advance its anti-free speech mission.
The article (see here) also links to a recent story I wrote about NewsGuard.
For those who haven’t discovered The Defender, I think my readers would definitely enjoy its content.
The site was started by Robert Kennedy’s non-profit Children’s Health Defense. To me, The Defender is clearly a “work-around” that was created to get more “taboo” stories about health and (censored) science in front of the public. In recent years, The Defender has also published many articles about the Establishment’s efforts to harpoon free speech.
I also commend Rep. James Comer, a Republican and committee chair in the U.S. Congress, for highlighting the fact tax-payer money is being used to attack people and organizations who are simply practicing free speech … and telling the truth … or trying to de-bunk bogus or dubious claims.
NewsGuard is just one unit of an army of organizations seeking to bully - and punish or put out of business - people and organizations who challenge the dubious disinformation promulgated by “experts” and “authorities.”
NewsGuard has targeted Brownstone …
Jeffrey Tucker, the founder of the Brownstone Institute, is also quoted in Michael’s article.
Back story: Jeffrey was contacted by a “fact-checker” at NewsGuard who was seeking comment about Brownstone Covid articles the writer says are full of unproven misinformation.
Jeffrey points out that he used to spend “hours” talking to such fact-checkers, but now considers this a waste of time and energy as he knows these organizations have a preconceived narrative they’re going to push, regardless of what he tells them.
NewsGuard’s niche is providing a (paid) “service” to advertisers so these companies won’t spend advertising dollars on any company or organization that spreads what NewsGuard has decided is “misinformation” and/or “disinformation.”
In a Brownstone Writers Group email thread, Jeffrey points out he doesn’t understand why Brownstone was put on NewsGuard’s “hit list” as Brownstone’s website doesn’t include or accept any corporate advertising.
I made a couple of comments in this email thread, which I believe are germane to the topic covered by Mr. Nevradakis’s story.
Bill’s Two Cents …
“As Jeffrey points out, Brownstone's writers stand by their articles and we can easily defend our conclusions. NewGuard can't do the same thing. This group says it promotes honesty and transparency, but NewsGuard does not display these traits. And the fact they are aligned with government censors is downright sinister. They - and dozens of groups just like them - are trying to put genuine truth-seekers out of business.
“… I’d make this point as well: I'm one of the ‘Brownstone writers.’ I don't get paid for my articles at Brownstone. (I'm not complaining; I'm just making a point that might be salient). The ‘journalists’ who write these ‘fact-check’ pieces presumably are being paid by NewsGuard, which itself is funded by myriad ultra-rich groups, companies … and, apparently, U.S. tax-payers!
“My point is: What financial incentive do writers like myself have for writing articles like this one? Answer: We either don't have one or it’s not very big. If someone ‘follows the money’ with journalists like myself, he or she could find only a couple hundred private citizens who - spread out over two years - have voluntarily subscribed to my Substack - at $6/month or $50/year.”
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb with this statement: If NewsGuard depended on small, voluntary donations from American citizens to support its payroll and mission, this organization would have gone belly-up years ago.
I was on a roll, so I kept making posts …
The My Pillow/Tucker Carlson case study …
“... I also know this: No company has contacted me offering to buy advertising at my newsletter - even though many of my articles have reached 50,000+ plus consumers of advertised products and services.
“I still think it's worth pointing out that the only big and recurring paid advertiser on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’s' Fox News show was Mike Lindell and My Pillow. As most people know, Carlson hosted the No. 1-rated news show in North America, a program routinely watched by millions of educated and civic-minded consumers with disposable income.
“I used to sell media advertising and minored in marketing in college. I thought this was the demographic or target market that companies would be eager to reach. I also thought media companies tried to grow their audience so they would have a better chance of selling more advertising.
“With Tucker's show (and other popular alternative media programs and companies), this marketing ‘truism’ is definitely not true. In fact, the opposite is true - the larger and more loyal your audience, the greater the certainty no Fortune 500 companies will ever advertise with you.”
FWIW, it’s also worth noting that Tucker's “controversial” or “unscientific” Covid claims were quickly proven to be … right. (As I noted in my NewsGuard article, Carlson and his show remain a primary target of NewsGuard).
“Anyway, this upside-down reality - eye-opening ratings ensure no advertising support from major advertisers - is now a standard of our "New Normal" ... or, as I now dub it: our New Abnormal.
I also note that My Pillow - and the company’s founder, Mr. Lindell - have clearly been targeted for destruction. A “message” has been sent to companies that might otherwise spend significant amounts of advertising money on popular shows like “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” That message: “You better not do this.”
It seems to me that another real conspiracy is that all the big advertising companies - and their captured advertising agencies - have conspired to blackball media organizations that don’t toe the Party Line.
In my opinion, NewsGuard was created to facilitate a coordinated effort to ensure truth-seeking organizations will not be able to get any advertising support - at least from group-thinking, oligarch “club members.”
It’s a positive development for freedom defenders that at least one member of Congress is now trying to put a spotlight on the activities of Censorship Industrial Complex soldiers (Gestapo?) like NewsGuard.
Now, if only the mainstream media would cover this story. (Alas, for some reason, I don’t think they will.)
P.S. …
One reason I started my Substack newsletter was to generate some revenue from my freelance journalism and commentary. However, a perhaps greater motivation was my desire to produce independent content that might influence important societal debates.
The fact I am now a part of the Brownstone Institutes’s team of influential writers and that I am now being asked to give quotes for articles published at influential alternative media websites like The Defender is a source of professional pride. This makes me feel my journalism and viewpoints might actually “matter.”
I also note NewsGuard must not like the fact I am now able to reach more people and might be having limited success in influencing certain debates or conversations.
It’s interesting to note the groups and citizen journalists NewsGuard considers a threat and are working so hard to silence. My take-away is that if they are trying to silence us or reduce our “reach,” we must be doing something right.
I’d love it if NewsGuard’s efforts end up backfiring and far more citizens realize groups like NewsGuard comprise the real threats to democracy. This, I think, is now happening. That is, The Law of Opposite Effects might be kicking in again.
SUBSCRIBER UPDATE: I don’t want to jinx myself, but at the moment I have 298 paid subscribers. This means I’m just two paid subscribers from reaching 300 - which is one of those even-number milestones. Maybe this article - or an exclusive I hope to publish in a few days - might get my newsletter to this level. As always, all reader support is greatly appreciated. I also appreciate anyone who might consider supporting Brownstone Institute and The Defender, which also depend on voluntary donations from citizens who have “skin in the game” … in a fight that’s no longer a game.
Ko-Fi donations are another way to support journalists that groups like NewsGuard hate and fear.
Long time subscriber to The Defender and 2 or more years of Brownstone, and more recently, you LOL. Finding the real news where it can be found.
One key point that many seem to miss about the 'fact checkers' is there is no way to debate them or tell them they are wrong. No way to tell Facebook or other social media companies using them to censor speech that they are wrong. Yes, you can send them a letter that they will ignore. That does no good. It needs to be public.
They are publicly blocking our speech and making it look like we are the liars, then hiding from any debate on the subject. The worlds most qualified expert can't tell them they are wrong, they will be blocked behind a fact check notice.
Censorship does 3 things:
It prevents the listener from hearing another idea or thought.
It prevents the speaker from being heard.
It prevents the person distorting the truth from appearing to be the idiot that they are.
The last one is key to making them be laughed off the internet.