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How dubious 'local news' sites are feeding US misinformation
When Elon Musk amplified a conspiracy theory about the hammer attack on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, he joined the growing ranks of Americans routinely sharing misinformation from dubious "local news" outlets.
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A user displays the Twitter account of Elon Musk on a smartphone against a photo of Musk in the background on April 14 in Washington, DC. (AFP/Olivier Douliery)
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hen Elon Musk amplified a conspiracy theory about the hammer attack on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, he joined the growing ranks of Americans routinely sharing misinformation published by dubious websites presenting themselves as local news outlets.
The new Twitter owner eventually deleted his tweet linking to the false article by the Santa Monica Observer, but millions had already digested and re-circulated a smear that went viral on Facebook and other social networks.
Many US voters seeking and sharing news about midterm elections may find themselves in both a desert and an ocean, only to be left in a fog.
"Fewer journalists means more opportunities for conspiracy theories without any check at all," said Daniel Kreiss, a University of North Carolina (UNC) political communication professor.
Hundreds of newspapers have shuttered since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but there are plenty of imitators popping up in their stead.
The Santa Monica Observer received a trust score of just 12.5 out of 100 on media monitor NewsGuard's rating scale last year, being described as: "Another example of a publisher producing unreliable content under the guise of local news."
The site, according to NewsGuard, has published numerous conspiracy theories and false and misleading claims about politics, vaccines and the pandemic.
