Harvard pushes list calling conservative websites ‘fake news’

Harvard pushes list calling conservative websites ‘fake news’

Anthony Gockowski Investigative Reporter on Mar 10, 2017 at 8:43 AM EDT

  • Harvard University recently established a research guide on “fake news” that identifies dozens of respectable conservative websites as “unreliable” or simply“fake.”
  • Their liberal counterparts, however, are generally given a "credible" rating, even when they are described as pushing "clickbait" content,
  • The research guide also encourages students to download a browser extension that flags sites like The Drudge Report and The Daily Signal as being potentially unreliable.

Harvard University recently created a research guide on “fake news” that identifies dozens of respectable conservative websites as “unreliable” or simply “fake” while rating many of their liberal counterparts as "credible."

Harvard’s new research guide, called “Fake News, Misinformation, and Propaganda,” encourages students to acquaint themselves with a “huge list of fake news sites,” many of which are legitimately deceptive, but others of which are merely conservative or libertarian-leaning.

“When in doubt...ask a librarian.”   

[RELATED: Students call BuzzFeed article ‘sketchy’ and ‘unethical’]

The Daily Caller, for instance, is labeled as being “political,” “clickbait,” and having “bias,” whereas The Daily Kos is labeled as “political” “clickbait,” yet is considered “credible.”

Several other influential conservative outlets are included on the list of potentially fake or discredited sources, such as Independent Journal Review, Newsmax, Conservative Review, and The Washington Free Beacon, though none of their liberal counterparts, like Vox, Slate, or Buzzfeed, are on the list.

In fact, the word “conservative” appears 19 times on the list while the term “liberal” appears only 4 times.

According to a post in the School Library Journal, the document was created by Melissa Zimdars, an assistant professor of Communication and Media at Merrimack College.

Harvard’s guidelines on fake news also recommend that students download browser plug-ins that theoretically detect websites that “may not be a reliable source,” flagging well-known outlets like The Drudge Report, Breitbart, The Daily Signal, and even calling LifeSite News “clickbait.”

[RELATED: College journalism assignment disparages conservatives]

Harvard claims, however, that its guide merely “offers a brief introduction to the spread of misinformation of all kinds and tools for identifying it, and reading the news with a more informed eye.”

At least two other universities, the City University of New York (CUNY) and Radford University, have published the same list of allegedly fake news sources on their school websites.

Campus Reform reached out to both Harvard and Zimdars for comment on the matter, but did not receive a response from either in time for publication

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @AGockowski

This article has been amended since its initial publication. 

Views: 104

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

tjdavis posted a video

The file of shame - Zandvoort - one of the largest covered-up paedophile scandals

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
16 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Alaskan Triangle US Air Force Loses 5 Aircraft

 The year is 1950 and the US and Soviet Union are locked in a crucial arms race that epitomizes the…See More
yesterday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Is this an Undeclared War We are Technologically Losing?

 Incident No. 1The year is 1980 and in US Air Force records this incident is still classified so…See More
Friday
tjdavis favorited Sandy's photo
Friday
Sandy posted a photo
Friday
tjdavis favorited cheeki kea's video
Thursday
Mr.Jensen commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

THE PAPER CHAINS

"Well from now on this fight is up to Amerian People to win it. I'm afraid that all wars you…"
Sep 23
Mr.Jensen updated their profile
Sep 23
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Top German Panzer Ace of WWII Meets His End Finally

On the battlefields of the eastern and western fronts there was a scourge for the Germans who had…See More
Sep 22
tjdavis posted a photo
Sep 22
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Big Lonely: An Indie Film that Will seriously Affect You

It's easy for us to be caught up in our little world, feeling sorry for ourselves, or lamenting the…See More
Sep 21
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Sep 20
rlionhearted_3 favorited Doc Vega's blog post Don’t you Just Enjoy having Your Intelligence Insulted?
Sep 19
rlionhearted_3 favorited Doc Vega's blog post Don’t you Just Enjoy having Your Intelligence Insulted?
Sep 19
rlionhearted_3 favorited Doc Vega's blog post Don’t you Just Enjoy having Your Intelligence Insulted?
Sep 19
tjdavis posted a photo
Sep 17
tjdavis posted videos
Sep 17
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Sep 17
My Good Movers is now a member of 12160 Social Network
Sep 17
Doc Vega favorited cheeki kea's video
Sep 17

© 2026   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted