New fake news dilemma: sites publish real scoops amid mess of false reports

[kwassa]

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/may/16/fake-news-sites-reports-facts-louise-mensch

But readers are now being confronted with an even tougher challenge: decoding the work of writers whose track records of faulty reporting are occasionally interrupted by stories that are actually true. The trait has appeared among pro- and anti-Trump writers alike, as bloggers on each side of a chaotic political crisis mix information from knowledgeable insiders with wild allegations about their opponents.
.................................................................................................

The anti-Trump blogger Louise Mensch, who scooped mainstream reporters earlier this year, excited her followers over the weekend with a nonsensical 92-word post claiming that a sealed indictment – intended by the justice department to “form the basis of Mr Trump’s impeachment” – had already been “granted” against the president over his links to Russia.

Skeptics noted that criminal indictments are not “granted”; that impeachment is initiated by Congress, not an executive agency; and that Mensch appeared to have misunderstood the supremacy clause of the US constitution, which she incorrectly said meant Trump must be impeached before he could be prosecuted.

.............................................................................

The latest errors by Mensch, a former Conservative member of the UK parliament, were in keeping with past falsehoods she has posted online, including that the 2014 riots in Ferguson, Missouri, were funded by Russia, that the rightwing blogger Andrew Breitbart was assassinated at the order of Vladimir Putin, and that dozens of public figures are currently Russian agents.

[pnwmom]

1. And this article is in keeping with past distortions of what Mensch has said.

To cite some of the examples in this sloppy article, she understands perfectly well that the House is where DT would have to be impeached, and she has clearly stated that it is her opinion only -- not something that she is "reporting" -- that Putin had something to do with Breitbart's death. Also, she has said that the protests in Ferguson were the natural and justified reaction to the police murder there. But the news reports at the time state that after the peaceful initial days of protests, Ferguson was invaded by outsiders who brought the violence to the protests. And she believes some of them were supported by Russia "active interests." Clint Watts testified to the Senate Intelligence committee about Russia using BLM protests for its propaganda purposes, so her views about this aren't extreme.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

2. Really stretching to defend a conservative.

She straight up said BLM protests in Fergusson was bankrolled by Russia.

She's a hateful maggot who was right about obe thing one time. Fuck Louise Mesch.

[pnwmom]

3. She did NOT. You need to read more carefully. She distinguished between the initial protests

and the violence that arrived with outsiders days later.

Link to tweet

?lang=en

[Dr Hobbitstein]

7. FUCK LOUISE MENSCH!

I don't see how any Democrat could support the vile, racist woman.

Link to tweet

?lang=en

[pnwmom]

10. Do you understand the difference between "riots" and "protests"?

Louise Mensch does. And so do the people of Ferguson. And they noticed that the people instigating the RIOTS were outsiders who arrived days after the PROTESTS began.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article1251108.html

[Dr Hobbitstein]

12. You really like defending that conservative, don't you?

She said TERRIBLE things about Clinton. Terrible things about BLM, but because she was right ONE TIME out of a brazilian about Orange Fucktrumpet, you go to NO ends to defend her.

Fuck Louise Mensch. She is NO friend of the Democratic Party.

[pnwmom]

15. The enemy of an enemy can be an ally. For now, she is a never-trumper, and that

makes her much more of an ally that all the idiots who said there was no difference between Hillary and DT.

And her point of view about Ferguson was shared by the people there.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article1251108.html

No one is more frustrated than local residents and leaders.

“The people causing all the trouble, they aren’t from Ferguson,” said resident Mike Marion, 26. “They’re from all over. They’re not trying to make things better or stand up for Michael Brown. They’re just taking advantage of the situation.”

It was a sentiment shared by dozens of residents interviewed by The Star on Monday afternoon after arguably the worst violence in a week of unrest broke out the night before. While laying much of the blame for the strife at the feet of police, they say peaceful protests are being hijacked by people with other agendas.

“People of Ferguson are getting punished for the actions of outside agitators,” said Kenny Murdock, 47, who hosts a show on a St. Louis radio station.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article1251108.html#storylink=cpy

[Dr Hobbitstein]

9. I'm not the one hanging on to every tweet of a RW conspiracy theorist, am I?

No, that's you.

[pnwmom]

11. Watergate was a conspiracy theory till it became a conspiracy fact. n/t

[pnwmom]

16. Maybe you should stop being personally insulting. n/t

[Dr Hobbitstein]

18. Maybe you should stop defending conservative hacks on a liberal website? nt

[pnwmom]

22. She, unlike many of the liberals on this very website, understood all along

that Comey, despite his mistakes, was one of the good guys. When some Dems were screaming for his ouster, she did not. She, unlike some Dems here, understood that we needed Comey to remain in place -- not to be replaced by some DT flunkey.

Then when Rosenstein became Deputy Attorney General, and people here were slamming him for the letter DT made him write, she insisted that Rosenstein would come through, too -- and he already has. He's named Mueller as Special Counsel.

She also immediately saw through Nunes's little charade, and even named his WH contact. And she said that Chaffetz would resign months before he did (he's just now making it public.)

So that conservative woman ( a conservative who believes in single-payer) keeps getting it right. I'll worry about her other political views once DT and his mob are out of office.

[tblue37]

27. Obviously LM has a strong thread of loony running through her, but she has scooped the

MSN a few times, she does seem to have a few decent sources (Dog knows how or why), and for the nonce she seems to be on the appropriate side of the issues.

Sure, take her pronouncements with a whole earned salt lick until they get verified. But I take weird or extreme news from anywhere that way--including the NYT & WAPO.

BTW, keep in mind that conservatives in the UK stand in many ways (i.e., on many issues) to the left of mainstream Democratic Party positions.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

17. All sorts of crazy with this CONSERVATIVE.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/louise-mensch-andrew-breitbart-murder-conspiracy-theory-killed-a7625381.html
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2017/01/louise-mensch-no-longer-leading-heatstreet-233235
https://medium.com/@infiniteloops/the-fifteen-craziest-things-louise-mensch-believes-583315665d35

[pnwmom]

19. If you read your own link you'd see she was very clear.

"The former Tory MP however drew a distinction between believing the theories and having reported them as fact.

“I said on Twitter, in a tweet ‘I believe that to be the case – about the murder of Andrew Brietbart’. I believe it. You said I reported it – those are two completely different things,” she said.

Pressed on whether she had any evidence for the belief, she said: “I do. Indeed, I’ve made no assertion, I said what I believe, there is a difference. I said I believe it, I didn’t say that I reported it. If I say so then that’s my belief.”

[Dr Hobbitstein]

21. She believes crazy shit.

People who believe crazy shit aren't to be trusted.

Keep defending her.

[mhw]

23. No. I can think of a few actual hateful maggots. Mensch isn't one of them.

Putin
Trump
Bannon
Mercer
Flynn
Manafort
Ailes
Jared
Ivanka
Pence
Ryan
Sessions
Etc.
And everyone of these hateful maggots has been outed by Louise Mensch & Claude Taylor since the day they began their campaign.

Here's what drew me to them.
If you don't read it then you'll never understand why I & others support them & independent journalism over sanitized US MSM.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029083001

Yes MSM that gave millions of $ in free advertising to their DT 24/7 campaign promo, when all the while the suspicions of "who he was & his true agenda with Putin & self enrichment at the expense of our nation", was censored & silenced & never spoken about.

This is the same media I am suppose to put my faith in now?
No thanks. I'll stick to independent journos who put it on the line in outing the most blatant massive interferance in our democracy.
They have also a role to play & they come with no hodden agenda.
They are as legit as any of our media.

Is it any wonder Bannon has recently gathered his alt right goons to disperse & discredit Louise & Taylor.

Read her writings from Jan 17.
You will see why she has the support she does.

Thank you

[kwassa]

4. Having an opinion is fine ...

but if she believes something without proof her opinions become less credible. She either has the proof, or she does not.

Everyone needs to be held to a high standard in this era of untruth everywhere.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

8. But... But... She says bad things about Trump, so she must be right...

Because confirmation bias is a thing.

[Blue_Tires]

26. and that's fine

While I've been following Mench long before it was cool, and she was tearing down Kremlingate long before most liberal bloggers/pundits even acknowledged it as a legit issue, even I'll admit she might be trying to overreach a little and fast-forward her story before revelations get us there naturally...

But I don't appreciate certain people on the horseshoe left and horseshoe right pretending this discredits her entirely....

[snooper2]

13. Well, I have to give her credit at least she is pro vaccination

Published: March 19, 2012
Louise Mensch MP: Cutting aid means fewer vaccines, more mothers giving birth in appalling conditions and risking progress in conflict-affected states


http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2012/03/louise-mensch.html

[L. Coyote]

5. This is the witch hunt Trump is referring to. "Unhinged British witch" "a textbook succubus"

It has been going on for a while now, since she broke the FISA story.

FBI has FISA warrant for Trump secret server connected to Russia.

[Blue_Tires]

20. Wow... The Guardian is tossing hand grenades around their greenhouse...

I'm old enough to remember when Glenn Motherfucking Greenwald was their #1 boy...

[mhw]

24. Discrediting Mensch for outing Putin/Trump with links to

The Observer (kushner)
The Guardian (greenwald)

[Cha]

29. he had them fooled..

[Blue_Tires]

25. I love how the author pretends this is a "new" phenomenon

I mean Jesus Christ, even Drudge in his early days got major scoops thrown in with his usual bullshit and that was 20 years ago...

[crosinski]

28. Last Part Of Subtitle: .... 'forcing readers to discern truth for themselves.' OMG!

Here's the whole thing: 'Louise Mensch is among a number of bloggers offering a mix of true and inaccurate stories, forcing readers to discern truth for themselves.'

Jebus! What'll we do now! Think for ourselves? I can't do it I tell ya! You gotta give me a clue!

What is this 1817? She's a blogger. We can handle this.

Let 'em work it out on their own pnwmom. Sit back. Relax. Smoke em if you got em. We get you.