Biased online ratings firm NewsGuard is taking its information war to schoolchildren through a deal made with the American Federation of Teachers.
School children depend on the internet for homework help. NewsGuard is now stepping in to “filter” online sources for so-called “misinformation.” The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union is buying NewsGuard licenses for its 1.7 million member teachers, according to an AFT press release. The partnership will make NewsGuard available to tens of millions of students and their families for free.
The NewsGuard partnership will foist the company's “real-time ‘traffic light’ news ratings and detailed ‘Nutrition Label’ reviews, via a licensed copy of NewsGuard’s browser extension” on students using news stories for research.
NewsGuard isn’t a reliable source, however. A recent MRC study found that outlets rated “left” or “lean left” by AllSides received an average NewsGuard score of 93/100. Sites considered “right” or “lean right” by AllSides had an average NewsGuard rating of 66/100. The news “credibility” rater also has a major partnership with leftist Microsoft to fight alleged “disinformation.”
MRC President Brent Bozell blasted the AFT-NewsGuard partnership, suggesting it is worse than critical race theory in public schools. “The left has found a dangerous and equally disingenuous new way to indoctrinate our children, without their parents knowing. NewsGuard is partnering with a national teacher's union to bring their biased ratings into classrooms nationwide. This is as bad as CRT. In fact, it's worse. Like CRT, it is designed to push a leftist ideology on children, but unlike CRT, the left is not going to give it a name this time. This is purposely designed to go under the radar of public scrutiny.”
Leftist AFT president Randi Weingarten said in the press release announcing the partnership, “We are constantly trying to help our students, particularly our middle, high school and postsecondary students, separate fact from fiction, as we help them develop their critical-thinking and analytical skills.” But NewsGuard’s own heavy bias bears against the service’s ability to separate “fact from fiction.”
In fact, the bias of AFT’s Weingarten itself raises red flags about the partnership. Weingarten recently criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on her Twitter account for his stance on monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19. She also supported the unsubstantiated claim that Donald Trump “tampered” with the 2020 election results.
She further endorsed strict COVID-19 measures for schools such as masking and constant testing. Weingarten formerly called for mandated COVID-19 vaccines for teachers and threatened school closures without enforced masking. The liberal AFT president even lobbied in support of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill. Weingarten also echoed Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) proposal to cancel student debt: “.@SenWarren is right. It’s time to #CancelStudentDebt to boost our economy and give relief to millions of working Americans.”
If such an openly biased person is “excited” to work with NewsGuard, that says a lot about NewsGuard.
NewsGuard is already reportedly expanding a partnership with IPG Mediabrands to co-create “the first-ever tool to evaluate and rate individual broadcast and cable news programs and networks.” Now the “credibility” rater is specifically targeting children in school.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact ABC News (818) 460-7477, CBS News (212) 975-3247 and NBC News (212) 664-6192 and demand they report on NewsGuard’s clear left-wing bias.
