GOP now creating actual dedicated fake news sites to intentionally spread misinformation.

[DetlefK]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/3/12/1841475/-Republicans-no-longer-need-Russia-to-create-fake-pop-up-news-sites-they-re-doing-it-for-themselves

A Republican media group is creating a swath of propaganda sites—sites that purport to be outlets for local media, but which actually push content created by big Republican donors. They’re using everything learned by decades of AM radio and Fox News to present these sites as “fair and balanced,” leaning into the trust that people award local sources, and taking a big lesson from Russia—if people read something on what appears to be a news site, they often don’t check to see if that site is anything more than a front.

...

Now they’re coming again, but not from Russia. An investigation conducted by Snopes has uncovered a trio of hard-right Republican activists—Michael Patrick Leahy, Steve Gill, and Christina Botteri—who are working with a conservative PAC to create authentic-looking “local news” sites that are packed with false stories sourced straight from lobbyists and interest groups. And it’s no surprise that their latest additions are The Ohio Star and The Minnesota Sun.

...

Star News has been a long way from perfect to this point in pretending to be what they’re not. For example, The “local” Minnesota site has featured everything from the wrong weather, to the wrong candidate for governor as the GOP group tries to perfect their faux-Minnesotan accent. But they’re getting better. And, like Sinclair Media, they’re spreading.

It’s not as if they have to be concerned about accuracy. In an article on a debate between Tennessee gubernatorial candidates, the “local” Star News site didn’t stop with just naming the Democratic candidate as a communist. They mingled real questions and responses from the debate with fake questions and fake responses that never happened. It’s that sort of mixing reality with propaganda at every level — from completely fake stories, to stories that include a few fake quotes — that make these sites particularly dangerous.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/03/04/activists-setup-local-news-sites/#_ga=2.131229580.260106883.1551797726-1088718101.1535999858

[SWBTATTReg]

1. They will get caught with their pants down...it's just a matter of time. The news cycle is so ...

overwhelming and gigantic in size and scope. Trying to shift the news cycle is like putting your finger in a dike that massively leaking. Won't work. Of, if it does work, it's going to work on the idiots already sold 100% by Faux and other fake new outlets.

[LiberalLovinLug]

14. That is incredibly naive

In the age of social media, a fake news story, can spread like wildfire today. And especially if it is spread by true believers who are not trying to be deceitful, but truly believe that the "news sites" they see the stories on are legit. Especially if they see it "backed up" on a few different ones. Then add, on top of that, if Fox News or Infowars, or Rush or any of those media scum grab one of those stories and catapult it on their own shows it further gives it credit.

I am frightened at the possibilities for fake news potentially delegitimizing all news eventually. Its so easy today compared to decades ago, to create a highly polished graphic laden "news" site. Video manipulation is going to also get better to the point where even if you have video evidence, it won't be enough. And doctored video from their side will get better and used more. (Such as the CNN reporter "slapping" the interns hand away) And with the trend now of people only going to and trusting sites with information from only one point of view....(Hi DU!)...this will only help spread the Big Lies across the country.

[SWBTATTReg]

17. This isn't naive. I've been around in IT for almost 40 years and I've seen numerous cycles of ...

news get the short shift and numerous cycles of news not get the short shift (true or not true). I just think most of us are not that naïve by now. What you call being naïve is actually getting smarter and better over time to decipher those items that are truly newsworthy or not.

[hibbing]

15. Iraq

I would be curious as to see what percentage of people that were alive at the time, believe Iraq attcked NYC even to this day.

Peace

[mudpuddle]

2. Local news died long ago.

I am better off reading national forums, like this one, to find local issues. We are citizen reporters, and we are able to reason for ourselves.

[lancelyons]

6. Maybe in your world but across USA local news is watched alot

[Turbineguy]

3. Communsim would likely not have

lasted as long as it did in Russia if they had not done this. The 70 year republican reich!

[CrispyQ]

4. Fox is the evil spawn of hate radio & the dems/left have ignored hate radio for over three decades,

& still do.

That Tom Steyer guy & other left leaning billionaires should put their money into Air America type radio stations, even at a loss, & counter the hate message that has proliferated unchallenged across huge swaths of our country. Hate radio is why grown white men wear tee shirts that read "I'd rather be a Russian than a Democrat," & how Eric Trump can get away with saying Democrats aren't even people, without being laughed off the national stage. So much of their behavior should be scorned & ridiculed instead of becoming the norm.

I feel like I'm falling down a rabbit hole. We should have addressed the Limbaugh types decades ago. These Trump rallies are not all old farts ready to die. There are a ton of young people there, too.

[Power 2 the People]

5. +1000

Well said Crispy.

[maxrandb]

8. All you would need to do is put some money in running the local hate-radio stations

out of the majority BLUE cities they serve.

I don't understand why there is a SINGLE hate-radio station operating in 75-25% Blue to red cities that is not being relentlessly boycotted and protested.

Kick them the fuck out of places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, Miami, Tampa-St Pete, Atlanta, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Raleigh-Durham...etc.,

See if they can operate when all they have left are Dumbfuckistan, 'MuriKKKa shitholes.

I just don't understand it. You have a city that is 90% Democratic, and yet, you have a fucking local radio station that does nothing but demonize and dehumanize the 90% for 24/7/365.

Fuck going after Sinclair or the other big corporate radio owners. Go after individual stations like WNIS in Norfolk, VA.

It's NOT censorship! It's the people standing up and letting stations like WNIS know that demonizing and dehumanizing the citizens of Norfolk is NOT A GOOD BUSINESS MODEL.

Do that, and then go after the major universities that broadcast their major sports on these stations

How the fuck does that happen? Stay tuned for Duke vs UNC, and after that, listen to Hannity explain how you're all just a bunch of fucking non-human pieces of shit that need to be exterminated

WE ARE NEVER GOING TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING UNTIL WE TAKE ON THE SCOURGE OF HATE-RADIO

[workinclasszero]

7. Putin's troll army trained the GOP well

The republican party is a fifth column of traitors in our midst.

[malaise]

9. NOW??

Is this new?

[TheRealNorth]

10. Part of the GOP Grand Plan

When you can no longer convince people that your way is the better way, flood the ideas market with so much B.S. that people don't know what is true and give up trying to figure it out.

People then default to "gut instinct" where the politics of fear will win every time.

[yaesu]

11. Well, they continue to get away with things so sure their going to keep it up. nt

[Firestorm49]

12. One step closer to fascism.

[Lucky Luciano]

13. We used to call fake news propaganda!

[The Wizard]

16. They already have Pox News

and Breitbart, Newsmax, and hate radio.

[area51]

18. Kick. n/t