Since President Donald Trump won the presidential election in November, there’s been an explosion of “fake-news” checker sites, some cloaked behind a veil of anonymity.
In some cases, Americans really have fallen for “fake news.” Just days ago, 20th Century Fox apologized for creating “fake news” sites – such as as the Houston Leader, the Salt Lake City Guardian, Sacramento Dispatch, the New York Morning Post and Indianapolis Gazette – as part of a promotional campaign for its psychological thriller, “A Cure for Wellness.”But on the heels of media hysteria over the trend, now it seems everyone claims to be a foremost expert on the topic of spotting “fake news.”
“Trust us,” they say.
“We’ll help you navigate Facebook and filter out the fake news stories,” they promise.
But just who are these self-appointed gatekeepers who claim to be the ultimate arbiters of what is or is not “fake news”?
WND found “fact-checker” sites run by:
- A gamer.
- A leftist, Trump-hating, feminist professor who specializes in “fat studies.”
- A sex-and-fetish blogger.
- A health-industry worker.
- Organizations with billionaire Democratic Party activists and donors.
- And another guy who went to extreme lengths to conceal his identity.
But most of the self-appointed “fact-checker” sites had one thing in common: President Trump – and the news sites that dare to give him a fair shake – are overwhelmingly their favorite targets.
The websites often show an obvious bias against conservative-leaning outlets. And many fail to include clear explanations of the criteria they use for determining whether a news site is legitimate. Other “experts” offer little or no biographical information establishing their qualifications for making judgments about journalism quality.
WND has compiled the following list of the Top 9 “fakest ‘fake-news’ checkers.”