In the age of liberal media outlets warning of Russian collusion and misinformation, it became much more ridiculous for liberal media outlets to take millions of dollars from the Communists in China to publish their propaganda in the newspaper insert China Daily. But the liberal media is that shameless.
Drew Holden at the Washington Free Beacon -- a Bulldog Award winner from the MRC for his journalism -- has an enjoyable investigative piece titled Some of the Same News Outlets Warning About 'Disinformation' Are Taking Millions To Print Chinese Propaganda.
Holden dug up China Daily's Foreign Agents Registration Act filings, which show that between October 2020 and October 2023, the CCP mouthpiece paid outlets such as Time, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and the Chicago Tribune a total of $8.2 million. Time was the top media recipient of CCP largesse, at $3.55 million to put China Daily articles within Time magazine and on Time.com. Holden then made a list of these propaganda-publishing outlets warning about disinformation, including:
"Poll: California Voters Agree Political Disinformation Is a Big Problem. But How To Fix It?" Los Angeles Times, Aug. 16:
Misinformation can spread rapidly on social media, leading to violence such as the attack on the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). It can also have an impact on local elections.
"How Data Literacy Can Keep America Safe," Time, June 29:
Put simply, our faith in data (paired with our poor data literacy) creates fertile ground for misinformation to flourish. And, with the explosion of new tools to generate and spread misinformation, this growing problem becomes a threat not just to our communities, but to our national security.
"Disinformation Is a Midterm Elections Threat That Could Keep Millions of Voters at Home, Analysts Say," USA Today, Nov. 4, 2022:
Disinformation lies target communities of color to influence elections and spread to millions of people in seconds. The truth is often told through one Sunday sermon or barbershop at a time
"Election Disinformation Targeting Latinos Is Spreading, and Experts Say It's Only Going To Get Worse," Houston Chronicle, Oct. 14, 2022:
It was a preview of what experts say is a wave of misinformation and disinformation targeting Latinos online ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, as they are poised to play a prominent role in deciding major Texas races, and potentially which party will control Congress.
"Misinformation Expert Warns About 'Terrifying' Implications for Future Elections," Boston Globe, Sept. 29, 2022:
Americans are awash in misinformation, basing their conclusions on different worldviews and information systems, and the implications for democracy are "terrifying."
"Disinformation Scams Are Becoming More Aggressive as Election Day Nears. Here's What Illinois Voters Should Know," Chicago Tribune, Sept. 15, 2020:
One of the most widespread challenges facing modern elections is false information. In Illinois, officials say misinformation and disinformation schemes are getting more aggressive.
Even worse, these papers actually warned about Chinese misinformation while they were publishing it! For example:
"'The Long Game.' China's Online Influence Campaign in Latin America," Time, July 11
"Can Fact-Checkers Save Taiwan From a Flood of Chinese Fake News?" Los Angeles Times, Dec. 16, 2019
"Russian, Chinese, and Iranian Election Meddling Could Lead to Violence, Report Warns," Boston Globe, Dec. 14
When the Trump team and congressional Republicans forced China Daily to disclose who it was paying to publish their propaganda, some newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post, dropped their advertising deals. The rest should follow, or shut up about propaganda and disinformation.
