Perhaps it is time that society starts taking big tech censorship seriously. As we have reached a point where Google forbids mentioning the corona virus on youtube,;Facebook and Twitter have been actively removing content deemed problematic to the official narrative and now Reddit has been caught censoring sources that go against the mainstream narrative.
The good Reddit admins have apparently warned #Coronavirus sub of “Russian propaganda” and @RT_com, together with #ZeroHedge and god knows how many other sources, are blocked on an intl sub with nearly 1M subscribers. Nothing to see here, just the continued erosion of #FreeSpeech pic.twitter.com/lsxh8NI43r
— Constantine A. M. (@Mcnst) March 9, 2020
Users of Reddit have begun reporting that both Russia Today and Zero Hedge have been censored on the platform. When the moderator was prompted during a conversation regarding whether it was okay to post an article for Russia Today the user was told, “It is not considered a reliable source, so it’s better if you find an article from a more reliable outlet.”
This is not a reason without some merit. Earlier today I came across a supposed leak regarding corona’s origin that the virus was in fact not real and a biochemical agent was, in fact, spreading like a virus. Additionally, we haven’t had nuclear weapons since the 70s, and while the claim America and China are working together to suppress the news of how severe the pandemic has become rang of some truth, the entire thing was patently absurd. There is an argument to be had that such nonsense — while having its place — doesn’t belong on an official corona discussion. Further, on the principle alone I curate what rumors I cover, so curation as a principle cannot be chastised if it is justifiable, logical and with merit.
When pressed to justify why Russia Today was banned for this determination the moderator pointed to Media Bias/Fact Check. Who rates Russia Today extremely low with no citation to back their evaluation. At the same time, the same organization rates CNN who has been sued repeatedly for lying including now by the Trump administration while also being repeatedly exposed by Project Veritas for doing so knowingly, as mostly factual.
Essentially Media Bias/Fact Check is a leftist outlet that makes determinations based not upon a rigorous examination of what is claimed versus what reality is, but instead just makes assertions based on an undisclosed methodology. During research to delve more into this organization, I was able to determine that even academics that aren’t far-leftist don’t consider it reliable in the slightest.
Media Bias/Fact Check is a widely cited source for news stories and even studies about misinformation, despite the fact that its method is in no way scientific. – Poynter
Amateur attempts at such tools already exist, and have found plenty of fans. Google “media bias,” and you’ll find Media Bias/Fact Check, run by armchair media analyst Dave Van Zandt. –Columbia Journalism Review
If you believe there should be more information available regarding an institution that universities and social media companies use as a fact-checker then you aren’t alone. This organization is cloaked in secrecy and appears extremely shady.
Virtually no one from the company can be tracked down. Certainly, information stands or falls on its own merits, but it helps to know the bias of the people you are receiving the information from. Only a single exception could be located, that of Dennis Kelley who has written in-depth about how evil and imperialistic “white culture is.” Since as everyone knows there is only “white culture” not a wide and beautiful variety of traditions scattered throughout Europe, he is clearly the most reputable cultural anthropologist available.
As a disclaimer, I am aware that people often share similar names with other famous people. By no means is what you are about to read to imply guilt by association, but to note how suspicious it is that the team cannot be located, but curiously share a high rate of name similarity with famous and infamous people.
Dave Van Zandt, the owner and operator’s name, only returned Dave E. Van Zandt a sitting member on the Council on Foreign Relations. An organization that exists as a political think tank, but is more commonly known by their ties to the deep state, Council on Foreign Relations, Bilderberg Foundation, and Marxist agenda pushing.
Though this is not the same person as far as I could determine, that the family name is tied to such an institution is worth noting. Kenneth White, another employee name only returns him as a victim of teenagers throwing a rock off an overpass in 2017. His name appears no virtually nowhere else. Jim Fowler was known for his show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and died in may 2019.
Now I want to stress because our detractors will in my stead if I do not, this proves nothing, but I will note it is highly suspicious that their entire staff cannot be tracked down. Yet their names are tied to famous or infamous people. The company itself is an LLC rendering it extremely difficult to track down or learn anything about. The fact of the matter is their entire operation is masked behind a veil of secrecy that a fact-checking organization shouldn’t be afforded.
Why Russia Today and Zero Hedge, though? That answer is pretty simple. The mainstream media both from the right and the left want to portray the corona virus as entering the tail end of the pandemic. That by and large the outbreak is controlled, contained and will be over soon or at the very least that the powers that be have everything under control.
That is very far from the truth. Zero Hedge has kept running updates and provided coverage on the topic. Demonstrating that the pandemic is likely in the early stages as authorities struggle to contain it in various parts of the world.
Similarly, Russia Today has provided extensive coverage of the corona pandemic that demonstrates it is far from concluded and we may be in the calm before the storm Additionally they’re just hated because they’ve taken to covering far-leftist activities in the culture and political war. It is also their opinion that it is okay to make jokes about the coronavirus. As we know the left hates comedy, so is it any wonder they hate Russia Today?
Increasingly, Reddit has demonstrated they are a publisher, not a platform. Opinions are curated, propaganda is promoted, and free speech is suppressed on an increasing and horrifying level. Where this ends is anyone’s guess, but that Reddit themselves are suppressing the truth about the corona pandemic should be concerning to everyone.