Nearly a year has passed since the Gateway Journalism Review first reported that LockerDome, a prominent St. Louis tech startup, had become a company that partners with some of the most notorious right-wing websites in the country. Serving as an advertising middleman, LockerDome was actually helping to fuel dozens of sites promoting election denial, white … [Read more...] about News Analysis: St. Louis tech startup that monetizes far-right fantasies faces little pushback in its hometown
misinformation
Local news outlets should do more to combat pandemic misinformation
A recent report tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations illustrates the extent of misinformation out there as we head into another long pandemic winter. The Kaiser Family Foundation COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor–a non-partisan source of health news—found that nearly eight in 10 of the people surveyed are unsure about at least one common … [Read more...] about Local news outlets should do more to combat pandemic misinformation
Pseudo news outlets push false claims around election
On Nov. 4, the day after the election, the Milwaukee City Wire inaccurately reported that more votes were cast in seven wards in the city than there were registered voters. Right-wing pundits and conspiracy theorists rushed to tweet the story, and retweet those tweets. Fox’s Sean Hannity weighed in. Some down-the-middle journalists also followed suit. But USA Today found the … [Read more...] about Pseudo news outlets push false claims around election
Local media outlets should be on frontline of misinformation war to help readers
In the hours after Iran attacked two Iraqi military bases that housed U.S. troops in January, social media predictably was rampant with rumors. Old and doctored photos surfaced claiming to show the bases on fire, and users shared reports on Twitter and Facebook that the missile strikes had killed Americans. A news-savvy, educated friend of mine posted on Facebook that 30 … [Read more...] about Local media outlets should be on frontline of misinformation war to help readers
Ebola reminds us perception is reality
Editor's note: This piece originally ran in the Fall print edition of GJR. As with other noisy public health topics, covering the ongoing Ebola crisis has posed several challenges. Journalists must have the facts right, of course, or risk irreparable damage to public understanding of the disease. But they also must decide how to deal with the myths others have … [Read more...] about Ebola reminds us perception is reality