Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
1.2.14
Newsjunkie.net is a resource guide for journalists. We show who's behind the news, and provide tools to help navigate the modern business of information.
Use of Data
Suppression BlogSuppression BlogFactcheck.org. Trump’s DC crime report is riddled with error
According to the Council on Criminal Justice, '"The homicide rate in DC fell 19% in the first half of this year (January-June 2025) compared to the same period last year.'" Additionally, with crime at its lowest point in decades, using comparisons to much larger international cities to justify the militarization of the capital is a gross overstep of power. -acs
Politico. Inside the not-so-super savings of DOGE
Receipts apprehended Politico by tell a very different story of DOGE’s cuts than previously believed. Per a POLITICO report, “analysis of DOGE data reveals the organization saved less than 5 percent of its claimed savings from nearly 10,100 contract terminations.” -acs
NYT. Trump-Putin summit opened the door for a myriad of misinformation
In the days before and after US leader Donald Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, official Russian media accounts wasted no time spreading fake or false information online. It all started with a post on X, written in English, from the country’s Defense Ministry stating, “Ukraine was planning to stage a false attack on its own soil for the benefit of “Western reporters” and blame it on the Russians in an effort to disrupt the talks.” This was followed by a second claim that an assassin, who had the intent of killing both leaders, was apprehended by United States Army’s 10th Special Forces Group. Both stories were deemed false by NewsGuard, a company that tracks disinformation online. -acs
E&E News. Understanding the team behind Energy Secretary Chris Wright
The EPA recently announced that would be lessening its regulations on greenhouse gasses and the Department of Energy published a report stating that global warming was not as big of an issue as we had previously thought. What got us to this point? In this case, it started in late March, when Secretary Wright began making calls to scientists that would support his mission. The result? A conservative science superteam. -acs
The Hill. Trump’s battle against free speech: DEI and ESG
Trump has paved his way in the US by brandishing big promises for freedom of speech, or just freedom in general. He has, however, made it abundantly clear that this free speech is selective, hinging on what is agreeable for him. Since he took office in January, we have seen him wage battles against the cultural and educational backbones of the country from law-firms, to universities, to legacy media corporations, often citing concerns about DEI or liberal bias. -acs
Politico. Investigating the uncertain fate of the Voting Rights act
In 2013, the Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder struck down the “preclearance” requirement, which had forced certain states to get federal approval before changing voting rules. Since then, the Voting Rights Act has been on shaky ground, as states threaten to gerrymander their districts to favor their political missions, and the Supreme Court takes on cases that have acted to uphold voter protections for minority groups in states like Louisiana. -acs
France 24. Inside the Global Fact-Checking Network, Russia’s verification organization
France 24 reports that "a number of the experts on GFCN's website frequently disseminate false information online, relying on unverified, untrustworthy sources." Additionally, multiple GFCN members have ties to the Kremlin, and the organization's president, Vladimir Tabak, has faced sanctions from numerous Western nations. -acs
Mother Jones. MAHA and Trump’s EPA are at odds
After Lee Zeldin announced major changes to the EPA’s relationship with greenhouse gases and its intent to lay off all of health research scientists, it became clear the agenda was not focused on human health, but rather, the economic health of the nation. Critics are now calling out RFK Jr.’s lack of commentary on the changes being made, stating they do more to harm Americans, than help. What are the true goals of these two departments? It remains unclear, and supporters aren’t having it. -acs
Politico. Democrats and Republicans fight for control over the narrative surrounding the Big Beautiful Bill
With Congress out for August recess, representatives will soon be returning home to answer to their constituents. The highly contested Big Beautiful Bill is facing significant backlash in the press, prompting questions and concerns from citizens who want to know how this bill, framed as a huge tax break for the wealthy, will affect them. -acs
Axios. EPA to change messaging on climate change, abandoning greenhouse gas theory
The EPA's Lee Zeldin announced plans to roll back the 2009 finding linking greenhouse gases to deteriorating human health. This coincides with a new goal to lessen carbon emission rules for cars and trucks. Zeldin made the announcement on the Fox affiliated podcast, “Ruthless,” and also posted an article on the EPA’s website.
Also: NYT. In Game-Changing Climate Rollback, E.P.A. Aims to Kill a Bedrock Scientific Finding Washington Post. EPA moves to end climate regulation under Clean Air Act |
-acs
CNBC. YouTube takes down over 11,000 Russian, Chinese propaganda videos
The company has been making an effort to take down propaganda and “spammy” content from its platform. In the second quarter alone, YouTube took down tens of thousands of “state-linked propaganda campaigns from China, Russia and more.” -acs
National Observer. The Canadian far-right is taking pages out of Trump's climate playbook
Over the past few months, the northern Prairie provinces and Ontario have been consumed by wildfires, causing deteriorated air quality and even death. While this would normally cause a heightened concern over environmental policy going forward, a different tone is appearing amongst Canada's far-right. There has been a significant rise in co-option of far-right conspiracy theories taking off from media sources like "Rebel News, The Daily Skeptic, Bjorn Lomberg, Jasmin Laine, Marc Nixon, The Fraser Institute and the Heritage Foundation" sparking concern amongst Canadian citizens and policymakers. -acs
PressGazette. French journalist claims 4,000 fake AI news websites have been generated to trick Google algorithms
Google has become AI’s toy. Generative AI programs are being used to create a slew of fake websites populated with plagiarized iterations of other articles in order to influence SEO. -acb
The Guardian. X lets bots edit posts, creating concern for disinformation
X declared that large language models are now capable of drafting community notes to address or rectify problematic posts, before they are released by users. This move has raised questions about the validity of their research methods and their effectiveness in identifying content that violates rules. -acs
FPRI. Burkina Faso: Powerful disinformation lab is an international security disaster
Report by Raphael Parens: Burkina Faso government is struggling to deliver basic services, the country’s literacy rate is low--both the quality of education and the number of students enrolled in primary and secondary schools are low. The lack of education is problematic on its own, but when combined with the junta government’s approach to propaganda and controlling the flow of information, it is a fiasco. Echo chambers exist across the world, but in Burkina Faso they are heavily enforced by the government and fostered by an education system that does not prioritize critical thinking. -gjw
MSNBC. Disinformation' from the top down is being used against judges
Podcast: U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey, Esther Salas, discusses Speak Up for Justice, a forum of legal voices aimed at warning against the dangers of politicizing and intimidating legal figures. -gjw
BBC. Israel-Iran conflict unleashes wave of AI disinformation
Videos created using artificial intelligence boast of Iran's military capabilities, alongside fake clips showing the aftermath of strikes on Israeli targets. -gjw
The Intercept. Politically-spun disinformation colors murder before facts known
Bots and influencers distort real-world violence before leads can be investigated and facts determined. -gjw
Guardian. Oklahoma schools teach 2020 election conspiracy theories as fact
Oklahoma state superintendent Ryan Walters installed Heritage Foundation chief, key behind Project 2025, for curriculum guidance. -gjw
BBC. India strike on Pakistan: ‘Operation Sindoor’ unleash wave of misinformation online
One video, which had more than 400,000 views on X at the time of writing, claiming to show an explosion caused by a Pakistani response was actually from the 2020 Beirut Port explosion in Lebanon. -acb
Science/AAAS. Vaccine experts rally together to counter US administration misinformation
The Vaccine Integrity Project is being spearheaded by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and funded by Christy Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune. -acb
Politico. State Department eliminates office fighting foreign disinformation
Secretary of State Rubio claimed the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office at the State Department, formerly known as the Global Engagement Center, had “spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving.” -gjw
NYT. Trump fuels a “machinery of misinformation”
Government watchdog Common Cause said the administration had pursued a strategy of “disinformation overload” that was overwhelming not only its opponents but also the judicial system. - gjw
EHN. EPA staff letter accuses Trump of deception to support fringe ideology
Trump is making accusations of fraud, waste, and abuse as justification for firing federal workers and defunding critical environmental programs. But the real waste, fraud, and abuse would be to strip away these funds from the American people. - gjw
NYT. Vast quantities of climate and environmental information have been removed from official websites
Hundreds of volunteers, including EOT Harvest members Internet Archive and EDGI, are working to download government data recreate the digital tools that allow the public to access that information. - gjw
PBS. First-hand stories of digital misinformation boosting paranoid thinking
Zach Mack and David Robert Grimes wanted to find out why people we think we know, in this case Mack’s father, turn to conspiracy thinking. Truncated, flawed, simplistic report, yet with some valid analysis. - gjw
Guardian. More US states report measles cases amid vaccine misinformation
RFK jr has shied away from directly recommending vaccinations during the recent outbreak while also promoting alternative treatments. He has also suggested the Texas child who died of measles last week was unhealthy or malnourished, despite medical reports that she was healthy and had no underlying conditions. - gjw
CAAD. German elections: AfD-led disinformation puts climate action at stake
Climate misinformation spread during the German election period primarily on X, Telegram and TikTok. This was supported by platform and media amplification, and was part of a wider trend of climate denial worldwide. - gjw
The Free Press. How the U.S. Government Controls Ukrainian Media
USAID funded the vast majority of 'independent' media in Ukraine. What American taxpayers don't realize is that their money went to suppressing the truth. - ab
Times of Israel. Gaza documentary translates ‘Jihad’ to ‘resistance,’ ‘Jews’ to ‘Israeli army’
In fresh scrutiny of controversial film, report accuses broadcaster of ‘whitewashing’ terror support with what an Israeli diplomat calls ‘intentional mistranslations’. “Gaza: How To Survive a War Zone” was deleted from the news agency’s streaming service when mentions of ‘Jihad’ and ‘Jews’ had been mistranslated, the Telegraph newspaper reported. The Telegraph also reported the narrator was the son of a Hamas leader. - dg
France 24. US propagandist paid by Kremlin targets German election with network of fake news sites
A US fugitive linked to the Kremlin runs AI-generated fake news sites to boost Germany's far-right AfD. - jy
Newsweek+Newsguard. Russia's War on Ukraine: Three Years, Three Hundred and Two False Claims
NewsGuard debunked 302 Russian propaganda claims on Ukraine, increasingly driven by AI and false corruption narratives. - jy
BBC. Kari Lake to lead Voice of America
Election loss-denier nominated to lead America’s voice to the world. - gw
AP. FACT FOCUS: A look at false and misleading claims Trump made at inaugural events
The AP fact-checked statements made during Trump's inaugural events, including false claims about the 2020 election, inflation rates under the Biden administration, and the impact of tariffs. - jy
Guardian. ChatGPT search tool vulnerable to manipulation and deception, tests show
Medium. Does CNN’s Embrace of Fake News Point To a Massive Crises Of Western Credibility?
The Independent. An Everett newspaper is shutting down after the mayor sued for defamation
CWU. Misinformation & Fake News Case Studies
The Bulwark. The Real Scandal of Our Media Tycoons
Indiana University Bloomington. White lies
GIJN. Is it Ever Okay for Journalists to Lie to Get a Story?
FTC. Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials
Newsweek. The Right is more willing to spread fake news, study says
Inside Climate News. Social media is growing vehicle for climate misinformation
The Conversation. Disinformation campaigns are a are a public health risk but NZ has no effective strategy to deal with them
NATO. NATO’s approach to countering disinformation
BBC. The 'Sift' strategy: A four-step method for spotting misinformation
U.S. Cyber Command. Russian Disinformation Campaign “DoppelGänger” Unmasked: A Web of Deception
U.S. Senate Committee. New Joint Bicameral Staff Report Reveals Big Oil’s Campaign of Climate Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak
LA Times. Dubious history of the Santa Monica Observer, the outlet behind that false Paul Pelosi story
Newsjunkie. Santa Monica Observer: Disinformation site masquerading as friendly local news
CNN. Black lawmakers call for probe of GOP House candidate over campaign ad with wrong election date
Guardian. Far-right website admits there was no fraud at 2020 vote count in Atlanta
Guardian. What price are US media outlets paying for spreading election lies? (Analysis)
Guardian. Far-right site Gateway Pundit settles defamation suit with election workers
AP. Hungarians protest state media ‘propaganda factory’ and demand unbiased press
NPR. How Russia’s RT went from a cable news clone to covert operator
NPR. Voting-tech company settles with right-wing network over false election claims
NBC. Smartmatic and Newsmax reach settlement in election defamation case
The Guardian. TV giant known for rightwing disinformation doubles down on its national news agenda
The Nation. Misinformation Is Destroying Our Country. Can Anything Rein It In?
AP. Right-wing influencers were duped to work for covert Russian operation, US DOJ says
PBS. How right-wing disinformation is fueling conspiracy theories about the 2024 election
Edited by Alex Smythe, Jenny Young, Damon Gitelman, and Gordon Whiting