Hey, we knew Snopes sucked but we had no idea HOW BAD it really is.
Snopes is retracting over 50 stories and suspending the editorial duties of one of its founders after this absolutely blockbuster @shootingthemess investigation. Wow. https://t.co/27e48ggV9F
— Jane Lytvynenko (@JaneLytv) August 13, 2021
From Buzzfeed:
David Mikkelson, the co-founder of the fact-checking website Snopes, has long presented himself as the arbiter of truth online, a bulwark in the fight against rumors and fake news. But he has been lying to the site’s tens of millions of readers: A BuzzFeed News investigation has found that between 2015 and 2019, Mikkelson wrote and published dozens of articles containing material plagiarized from news outlets such as the Guardian and the LA Times.
After inquiries from BuzzFeed News, Snopes conducted an internal review and confirmed that under a pseudonym, the Snopes byline, and his own name, Mikkelson wrote and published 54 articles with plagiarized material. The articles include such topics as same-sex marriage licenses and the death of musician David Bowie.
Snopes VP of Editorial and Managing Editor Doreen Marchionni suspended Mikkelson from editorial duties pending “a comprehensive internal investigation.” He remains an officer and a 50% shareholder of the company.
Wow.
Plagiarized material.
Yet he remains an officer … HA HA HA HA
Recommended
Of course.
Snopes' founder/CEO/co-owner wrote dozens of plagiarized articles for the site, often using a fake name with a fake bio, to hoard traffic. Snopes, which fact checked for Facebook for 2 yrs to "combat misinformation," is literally fake news. https://t.co/p9LzJ8IwoG
— Leighton Akira Woodhouse (@lwoodhouse) August 13, 2021
Literally fake news.
Way to go, Facebook.
This guy? https://t.co/YvUXJXCQ6G
— Janey Mack (@JaneyMackWriter) August 13, 2021
Yeesh.
This just looks worse and worse.
But don’t worry, the Left is still claiming this doesn’t change the fact that they’re excellent fact-checkers.
OOOOOMG right?!
Oh, I am very aware. Trying to talk myself down from going fully scorched earth publicly but let me just say that I have spent years trying to call attention to exactly this issue but because he was mostly doing it to women, few in my industry cared. https://t.co/3FYsnmEbVn
— Brooke Binkowski (@brooklynmarie) August 13, 2021
There're reasons the Mikkelsons were viewed with suspicion by the folklore communities they were in before Snopes.
— Potentially Trevor Walker (@ConditorCancri) August 13, 2021
RIP Snopes. Until he’s gone, I’m gone.
— More Justice Faster, Please – Brad Patrick (@bradpatrick) August 13, 2021
And considering he’s half-owner? Hrm.
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