Everybody’s well aware that the media “fact-checkers” are quick on the draw when it comes to what they consider “misinformation” in regards to Covid-19, climate change and other matters. And when it comes to pushing the panic button over those two issues, the media is also fast to act.
Meteorologist Ryan Maue saw one such effort in the USA Today, which cited a “report” that’s nowhere to be found:
Interesting: USA Today article on climate disinformation "is as bad as ever" cites a report from an outfit called Advance Democracy, Inc.
However, no where in this article is any report provided. Yet, facts are seemingly presented from it. https://t.co/vNIByFBc2W
— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
Maue spotted the media having an incredibly low bar with it comes to backing up their “science”:
An email newsletter was published including these facts as well as touting the front page story on USA Today website.
ADI Research Snapshot
January 21, 2022https://t.co/7MB2c3gjeO pic.twitter.com/I8dMT1ph4b— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
Yet, this is weird. The same author as piece produced today wrote nearly the same article 7 months ago.
Again touting exclusive access to a report:
"And, a new report from Advance Democracy shared exclusively with U.S. TODAY"https://t.co/0049CRh9VN pic.twitter.com/04WC61TerJ
— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
Advance Democracy, Inc:
Daniel Jones, president of Advance Democracy, says climate misinformation that obfuscates or downplays the threat to human life is delaying "necessary policy reforms worldwide."
The website conspicuously lacks content. https://t.co/CPtprFZ7iY
— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
Google News search w/ Jones and Guynn turns up numerous articles w/same exclusive access theme.
"according to a report from Advance Democracy, a research organization that studies disinformation and extremism, shared exclusively with USA TODAY."
— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
"TikTok videos promoting QAnon and anti-vaccine conspiracies are surging in popularity despite a crackdown by the popular social media app, according to a new report shared exclusively with U.S. TODAY."https://t.co/sm01WAE1N6
— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
And again on climate change misinformation.
These exclusive reports are apparently being used to censor or flag social media accounts & pressure tech companies to cleanse their platforms of vaguely defined climate denial.
Where is this report?https://t.co/O1PSeaiBk0
— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
If Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google are using these reports as fact-checking or censorship tools, then it would be helpful to see the underlying data methods, sources, software and any persons involved in the effort. https://t.co/vNIByFBc2W
— Ryan | Forecast (@RyanMaue) January 22, 2022
Chuck Ross adds this:
Advance Democracy is the group that worked with Chris Steele and Fusion GPS on the Trump collusion ruse. The group also spread the fake Alfa Bank story. But media outlets keep using their research https://t.co/VPiaVajwAY
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) January 22, 2022
Shocker!
Great thread on propoganda https://t.co/CmPeFaKklA
— Dr HI (@lcarb_4u) January 22, 2022
"Journalism" continues its decline.
— MJ 🇺🇸 (@mjrod) January 22, 2022
I originally naively though journalism would get better with the internet. No longer limited by space constraints of paper and the ability to link to sources, surely we’d get better articles with more support. I was wrong. Badly.
— Mike Wilson (@RealMSWTruth) January 22, 2022