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EarlG

(23,587 posts)
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 09:38 AM 2 hrs ago

A reminder to all DUers reposting content from social media: Check your sources

Given the situation in the Middle East, it's understandable that people want to bring the most up-to-date information they can find to DU. In principle, I'm absolutely not opposed to that. In practice, however, it means that some of the content now being brought to DU is being reposted from sources which are not appropriate for our community.

I am talking about social media sources which traffic in right-wing content, racist content, homophobic content, antisemitic content, and conspiracy content, including anti-vax conspiracy theories. Or, more often than not, all of the above.

I will note that DU's "Don't peddle right-wing talking points, smears, or sources" rule does carve out an exception for such sources:

Do not post right-wing talking points or smears. Do not post content sourced from right-wing publications, authors, or pundits. Exceptions are permitted if you provide a clear reason for doing so that is consistent with the values of this website.

Note that if you want to use a source which would typically be considered inappropriate for DU, you need to to give a clear reason for why you're doing it. If the purpose is to point out that MAGA media is turning against Trump, or if you want to highlight the awfulness of a particular X post by some right-wing public figure, then you need to give a clear explanation that that is your intent.

But simply reposting content from neo-Nazi or other extremist social media accounts, just because they've criticized Trump or other Republicans, or because they've posted an update about the war with Iran, does NOT count under the rule exception.

As you know, DU relies on the community to police itself via the Jury system. Of course, not all members serving on Juries are aware of whether certain X accounts are inappropriate, and people are often not likely to bother to check. This can make it easy for inappropriate sources to slip through. If Jury members see a post bashing Trump or Republicans, they are probably likely to think it's okay, and will be unlikely to click through to the X account only to find that it is selling white supremacist T-shirts.

So:

1) To DU members who are reposting content from social media: Please check your sources before posting to make sure that the source is appropriate for DU.

2) To DU members who are serving on Juries for the "Don't peddle right-wing talking points, smears, or sources" rule: Please don't just assume that a social media source is okay if it is bashing Trump -- actually check the source to make sure that it is appropriate for DU. If you do not wish to click through to a social media site to check the source, it is perfectly okay to cancel out of the Jury and let someone else take a look.

Thanks for reading, and for being part of the effort to keep DU clear of bigoted sources and content.
40 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
A reminder to all DUers reposting content from social media: Check your sources (Original Post) EarlG 2 hrs ago OP
Thanks for the clarification, EarlG UpInArms 2 hrs ago #1
Also, just stop posting content from the Nazi bar on DU. demmiblue 2 hrs ago #2
Yup, I would love no inks to Twitter at all obamanut2012 2 hrs ago #10
I won't click on any links to X. CaptainTruth 2 hrs ago #12
I put people who constantly post X content on ignore. demmiblue 1 hr ago #15
Same here. niyad 1 hr ago #20
It's still the largest hub for news and commentary leftstreet 1 hr ago #18
I don't think that is true anymore, sans the extreme right-wing content. demmiblue 1 hr ago #26
That's great there's another source n/t leftstreet 1 hr ago #28
It's also the best source for breaking financial and overseas news jmbar2 13 min ago #37
Thanks Earl Nittersing 2 hrs ago #3
I wish the Democracy Now! posts could be murielm99 2 hrs ago #4
That is a bit unfair jfz9580m 43 min ago #34
Thanks, EarlG. greatauntoftriplets 2 hrs ago #5
K&R PatSeg 2 hrs ago #6
Thanks EarlG MustLoveBeagles 2 hrs ago #7
there has to be a "but" GusBob 2 hrs ago #8
Do you have specific examples in mind? niyad 2 hrs ago #11
because of course it NEVER happens ... stopdiggin 1 hr ago #23
So asking for specific examples is denying the truth of the poster's niyad 1 hr ago #24
No. but it IS often a tactic used to nullify, diminish or dismiss ... stopdiggin 55 min ago #31
I see. So showing where **I** have made such posts would be something niyad 4 min ago #39
So asking for specific examples is denying the truth of the poster's niyad 1 hr ago #25
Yes I do GusBob 2 min ago #40
Thank you, EarlG. Sadly, the list of trusted, reliable, ethical sources niyad 2 hrs ago #9
Roger that orangecrush 2 hrs ago #13
I never click on an X posting... MiHale 1 hr ago #14
Is there a list of inimical sites for us naive jurors? dickthegrouch 1 hr ago #16
KnR Alice Kramden 1 hr ago #17
It is getting much harder to tell truth from lies. BlueKota 1 hr ago #19
"It is getting much harder to tell truth from lies." True Dough 1 hr ago #30
To be clear, and this is also addressed to one of the posts above, EarlG 47 min ago #32
💯 💯 💯 💯 SSJVegeta 1 hr ago #21
K&R Gets more important every day to maintain integrity...nt Wounded Bear 1 hr ago #22
Thank you, EarlG!! nt PunkinPi 1 hr ago #27
Thank you... This is my favorite place to get the latest news stories from all over the net.. Peacetrain 1 hr ago #29
Thank you, EarlG. sueh 46 min ago #33
Please use in an appropriate forum too Marthe48 21 min ago #35
I verify most posts these days. Lots of clickbait. lindysalsagal 19 min ago #36
Thanks... 2naSalit 11 min ago #38

demmiblue

(39,633 posts)
2. Also, just stop posting content from the Nazi bar on DU.
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 09:44 AM
2 hrs ago

Also, stop recommending /highlighting X content. That would be a good start (imo, of course).

leftstreet

(40,236 posts)
18. It's still the largest hub for news and commentary
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:28 AM
1 hr ago

It's where everyone finds mainstream and citizen news sources, breaking headlines, statements from elected politicians, etc

It's greatest selling point is Trump no longer posts there! He used to suck the oxygen out of the room, but now I think he just posts on his made-up Truth Social

demmiblue

(39,633 posts)
26. I don't think that is true anymore, sans the extreme right-wing content.
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:56 AM
1 hr ago

I can find all of that on Bluesky. In fact, several of the accounts I follow are leaving/have left X.

This is exactly right. The Onion quietly left Twitter a month ago and... our weekly subscribers went up. It's because we're doing well here, on Instagram and on YouTube.

As a business, being on Twitter is somewhere between useless or detrimental, unless you're selling boner pills.

Tim Onion (@bencollins.bsky.social) 2026-02-23T01:51:27.338Z

jmbar2

(7,949 posts)
37. It's also the best source for breaking financial and overseas news
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 12:02 PM
13 min ago

Great posts this morning from a journalist that translates Russian news, Dave Troy, Anne Applebaum, Texas breaking election news, earthquake/tsunami alerts, Aaron Rupar, Ukrainian civilian posts, my two Senators' alerts, court verdicts, etc.

Nittersing

(8,314 posts)
3. Thanks Earl
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 09:47 AM
2 hrs ago

I think "reliable news sources" is gonna get trickier and trickier.

My thanks to everyone for cross-checking!!

murielm99

(32,936 posts)
4. I wish the Democracy Now! posts could be
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 09:54 AM
2 hrs ago

excluded here. They are no better than Fox. There are other ways to post the news.

jfz9580m

(16,938 posts)
34. That is a bit unfair
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 11:33 AM
43 min ago

I went on DemocracyNow! just now and found this.

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/3/11/amy_littlefield_abortion_killers_roe_nation

I am careful posting from leftwing sites that do attack the Democratic party a lot (though sometimes those are the places where a lot of independent lefty thought persists away from electoral politics). They can be a little ossified in how they present content I largely agree with though (The Nation, DNow! etc).

But the left is one part electoral politics and there I agree that left wing sites can be impractical.

But on left wing thought separate from elections, I find newer lefty sites like Current Affairs very useful and less hidebound in examining reality than the msm.

GusBob

(8,231 posts)
8. there has to be a "but"
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:06 AM
2 hrs ago

and I will be a butthead, I apologize

I know you have addressed this before,,, but again,,, what about fake war news (aka propaganda) from liberal leaning sources?

It has been said "the first casualty of war is the truth" I think as a newsgroup, truth should be preserved

stopdiggin

(15,355 posts)
23. because of course it NEVER happens ...
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:41 AM
1 hr ago

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The poster has a completely legitimate point.
However - for the purposes of this this thread it shall be noted that DU has specific rules against right wing sources and agenda - while the same is not true for simple misinformation and trash posting. And, in any case - it's kind of up to the community to some extent to ride herd ...

niyad

(131,792 posts)
24. So asking for specific examples is denying the truth of the poster's
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:51 AM
1 hr ago

statement? Got it. Thanks. I wanted to see what I might have missed, since one cannot possibly keep up with everything out there.

stopdiggin

(15,355 posts)
31. No. but it IS often a tactic used to nullify, diminish or dismiss ...
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 11:21 AM
55 min ago

within back and forth discussion.
If I (or another poster) am not willing to go do 30 minutes of research finding 'examples' and 'exhibits' (to satisfy your demands for 'documentation' ) - then of course the point I make is construed to be illegitimate or without foundation. Screw that! I am not your dogsbody - or your research assistant! Find your own 'examples'! Meanwhile - my statement and opinion stands on its own merit. Just like yours!

Point being - like I said - often employed as a cheap tactic ...

niyad

(131,792 posts)
39. I see. So showing where **I** have made such posts would be something
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 12:12 PM
4 min ago

you could not possibly be expected to take the time to do, despite having accused me of such, at least by implication. Duly noted. remdi95.

niyad

(131,792 posts)
25. So asking for specific examples is denying the truth of the poster's
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:51 AM
1 hr ago

statement? Got it. Thanks. I wanted to see what I might have missed, since one cannot possibly keep up with everything out there.

GusBob

(8,231 posts)
40. Yes I do
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 12:14 PM
2 min ago

From this week actually, I dont wanna "call out" a poster, thats not my vibe. The inaccuracies were pointed about by diligent DUers in the meat of the thread, but nobody seems to read thru the posts like we do.

I am uncertain, in general, if some of the war reporting is accurate from either side. Perhaps you would agree that one must be circumspect in anything one reads online, anywhere. Back in the heady days of DU verification was requested for claims "Got a link for that?" Remember ? Now with click bait stuff, the very links can be bogus

EarlG has address this topic and I am dead-horsing a pet peeve, I apologize

niyad

(131,792 posts)
9. Thank you, EarlG. Sadly, the list of trusted, reliable, ethical sources
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:06 AM
2 hrs ago

seems to get shorter by the day.

MiHale

(12,922 posts)
14. I never click on an X posting...
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:20 AM
1 hr ago

Interesting idea above that screen capture of the X post …

dickthegrouch

(4,477 posts)
16. Is there a list of inimical sites for us naive jurors?
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:26 AM
1 hr ago

I have some sites blocked by firewall rules and others rendered useless by local resolution to 127.0.0.1 so I’m not going there to check.
I think DU could institute a different colored square for posts that include a link to known rightwing sites.

BlueKota

(5,266 posts)
19. It is getting much harder to tell truth from lies.
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 10:35 AM
1 hr ago

I quit X when Muskrat took over. I still see a lot of posts, however, around various social media sites saying this politician humiliated this other politician on such and such a t.v. program or podcast. I reasoned, however, if there was no video or audio, of said interaction, it is most likely a fabrication. Most times it turns out neither of the named politicians were even guests on the shows, the nights these incidents were supposed to have taken place.

I also Google to see, if any other sources are listed that backup the claims. Also a lot of times I come here to see whether something has been proven true or false.

True Dough

(26,426 posts)
30. "It is getting much harder to tell truth from lies."
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 11:14 AM
1 hr ago

This is definitely by design from the likes of Trump and Putin, who want the masses to believe that they are the only purveyors of truth when, in actuality, both are hateful, self-serving liars.

EarlG

(23,587 posts)
32. To be clear, and this is also addressed to one of the posts above,
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 11:29 AM
47 min ago

this is not about truth or lies or fact checking. That is a separate issue which I've addressed many times before. (In a nutshell, this is the Internet, and people should always be cautious about what they read and share, and the best way to counter factually incorrect information on DU is to do so publicly by responding to that information.)

In this case, however, I'm specifically talking about folks bringing content to DU from sources which are clearly inappropriate -- social media influencers who typically traffic in highly bigoted content, but from time to time happen to post something that DUers are in agreement with (for example, criticizing Trump), which then gets reposted on DU. Those influencers should not be platformed on DU.

Peacetrain

(24,288 posts)
29. Thank you... This is my favorite place to get the latest news stories from all over the net..
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 11:06 AM
1 hr ago

Always best to double check sources before posting, good advice and a good reminder ..

Marthe48

(23,043 posts)
35. Please use in an appropriate forum too
Thu Mar 12, 2026, 11:55 AM
21 min ago

Please keep politics out of the Lounge. I don't alert on political posts in the Lounge, but I trash them.

Thank you.

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