In a new explosive report by Axios operatives of the Democrat Party have created a “sprawling network” of fake local news websites in swing states to disguise partisan messaging as legitimate news.
Axios reports that at least 51 locally branded news sites have sprung up since last year. These propaganda sites are using names including the Milwaukee Metro Times, the Mecklenburg Herald, and the Tri-City Record.
“Each follows a similar template: aggregated local news content and short write-ups about local sports teams and attractions — interspersed with heavily slanted political news aimed at boosting Democratic midterm candidates and attacking Republican opponents,” according to Axios.
The masthead of the purported news sites showed involvement with The American Independent, a progressive organization that has changed names multiple times.
The company was originally called Blue Nation Review. However, it was sold to Media Matters For America founder David Brock in 2015.
Brock fired most of the staff at the time and then hired a former Clinton staffer named Peter Daou to head and write for the organization. At this time he re-named it True Blue Media, LLC. Two months before the 2016 election, the company rebranded as Shareblue and in 2019 rebranded yet again as The American Independent “in preparation for 2020 coverage.”
The organization’s website shows that part of its funding comes from The American Bridge 21st Century Foundation which is a Democrat super-PAC.
For each of the fake news sites, the “About Us” page says they are run by Local Report, Inc. Local Report is a company that was created in Florida in August 2021. At this time this particular organization does not currently have an active website.
Axios published their initial finding in an exposé showing the websites as extensions of the Democrat political machine. Afterward, all of the named websites deleted their “About Us” pages.
Each of these fake news websites is targeting key states with elections in 2021 and 2022: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
“It’s an increasingly common tactic among political outfits looking to give their team a steady stream of positive content they can then use to boost their own electoral communications,” Axios reports.
Newsguard is a site that rates news and information sites based on factors like repeatedly publishing false information, presenting information responsibly, and correcting or clarifying errors. In September 2022, Newsguard called a network that appeared connected to The American Independent “the latest example of mass-produced, partisan news sites masquerading as local news, known as ‘pink slime’ journalism.”
To be fair Newsguard also mentions that similar operations that ran roughly 1,200 websites were set up by Republicans ahead of the 2020 elections.
Axios obtained a statement from Local Report, stating, “Our portfolio includes a number of digital news sites across the country that are focused on sharing local news and providing readers with fact-based coverage of their communities. We are proud to collaborate with partners like the American Independent that are also committed to bringing the public reliable information that they can trust.”
