TM Creating a Media Culture in America Where Truth and Liberty Flourish Vol. 26 • Issue 8 • August 2019 Social Media Giants Increasingly Censor and Ban Conservative Voices and Organizations Online In April 2018, the MRC released Let’s look at some recent examples. an extensive report, Censored! Ken Webster is a libertarian/ which documented how online media conservative who hosts a talk-radio MRC Headquarters • Reston, VA companies, such as Facebook, Google, show on KPRC in Houston and promotes Twitter, and YouTube, were suppressing his program on Facebook. On July 15, conservative speech. he posted an item about a INSIDE We warned that conser- local sheriff doing nothing vatives were under attack about “criminal illegal and that the censorship and immigrants.” Shortly PAGE 3 banning by the social media thereafter, Webster Conservative Leaders giants constituted the worst tweeted that he had been Call on Facebook to threat to free speech our “suspended from Facebook Stand Up to Antifa’s country has ever faced. for seven days” because Outrageous Violence Now, social media outlets he used the words “illegal are banning conservatives immigrants.” PAGE 4-5 almost daily. This is being Webster was censored BITS & PIECES: done, apparently, to muzzle Social media outlets are for describing a factual Extremists? conservative news on the banning conservatives situation. No Free Speech, almost daily. This is being MRC Poll, Shh! Internet going into the presi- Google is the most done, apparently, to muzzle Great-Great BS, dential election year. popular search engine in conservative news on the and Bury It! As Google Executive Jen the world. Yet it labeled the Internet going into the MiniBits Gennai admitted — in an Mueller Report, the official undercover video made by presidential election year. report that exonerated PAGE 6 Project Veritas in June — the company President Trump of “collusion” with Nationally Syndicated is “training our algorithms, like, if 2016 Russia, as “fiction” in its genre category. Column by Brent Bozell happened again, would we have … would That “fiction” label was not changed and Tim Graham: the outcome be different?” until The Washington Post reported on it Skipping the Also, last fall Gennai told Google em- on June 10. Google subsequently claimed Philly Fanatics at ployees, “We all got screwed over in 2016. that its Knowledge Graph had made an Netroots Nation The people got screwed over, the news error. The same Knowledge Graph had media got screwed over, so we’ve rapidly tagged the California GOP as the “party PAGE 7 been like, what happened there and how of Nazism” in 2018. This was also an MRC Impact do we prevent it from happening again?” error, claimed Google. Google apparently is injecting its Again in June, Project Veritas PAGE 8 liberal bias into its myriad online products published a leaked email from Google’s Join Us for the MRC’s and services. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Liam Hopkins, a member of Google’s Mediterranean Cruise and other sites seem to be doing the same “transparency and ethics group.” In the September 13-24, 2019 thing. MRC TechWatch has documented email, Hopkins described conservatives and exposed instances of this social Ben Shapiro and Dennis Prager — both media liberal bias. This, in turn, has been Jewish — and Dr. Jordan Peterson as further exposed through the various MRC “Nazis using dog whistles.” Hopkins divisions and through interviews of MRC also suggested that YouTube (owned by experts on radio and television. Continued on page 2 2 AUGUST 2019 Continued from page 1 Google) consider “disabling the suggestions feature” for these conservatives, which means their videos would no longer show up in the recommendations of other videos on the platform. Facebook has policies against violence and extremism, violations of which can lead to persons or groups being banned from its site. However, Facebook is clearly selective with this policy as the domestic terror group Antifa (and its member affiliates) has 119 pages on Facebook. Antifa engages in threats and violence against conservatives and Trump supporters all the time. In Portland (see p. 3), libertarian photojournalist Andy Ngo was severely beaten by Antifa thugs on June 29 and suffered a brain hemorrhage. Antifa doxxed and protested outside the home of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and cracked the front door of his house. Yet the group’s Facebook page is still active. Antifa thugs rioted in D.C. during the Trump inauguration, smashing store windows and cars. Other Antifa groups have posted items on Facebook urging people to “use a brick” to “egg a Nazi,” or stated, “Concrete milkshakes are our favorite flavor.” Antifa radicals often throw “milkshakes,” made with quick-drying cement, at conservatives. Nonetheless, this left- wing terrorist group is still allowed on Facebook. The online scrapbooking site Pinterest is also censoring conservatives. Eric Cochran, who had worked at Pinterest for two years, wrote in Newsweek that the company engaged in “covert censorship of pro-lifers, Christians and Conservatives.” He noted in particular that the pro-life group GET READY Live Action (3.3 million members) was “blocked by Pinterest” and then its account was permanently removed. During a company meeting about content, Pinterest FOR 2020! employee Ifeoma Ozuma reportedly described Jewish conservative Ben Shapiro as a “white supremacist.” Project Veritas reported this on Twitter and then was temporarily With your support we were able to SURPASS suspended by the social media platform. and make the deposit on a OUR GOAL In early June, YouTube removed a Project Veritas video number of the incredible billboards for the about the censorship of conservatives at Pinterest. In DNC in Milwaukee next year! addition, the social media site Reddit suspended users who Here’s the final total: posted the video or linked to it. In late June, Twitter announced a new program that flags (donations from members) $27,957 tweets it finds politically offensive and requires users to click + $50,000 (from our major donor match offer) through a warning before they can actually see the tweet. = $77,957 !!!! The policy applies to “all verified political candidates and Because of you, as the leftist media and their government officials with more than 100,000 followers,” but seems intentionally designed to target President Trump. crazed liberal allies descend on Milwaukee in The censorship by Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube, 2020, everywhere they turn they’ll be reminded and other Internet sites, puts everything conservatives have of the fact that Americans “Don’t Believe the fought for at risk. The Internet is truly the new battleground Liberal Media!” for liberal media bias and the MRC is fighting against this bias It’s going to drive them crazy — again! And we every day. can’t wait. We’re so thankful for your support! You can help by making a donation to our non-profit The leftist media and their tech giant cronies organization. Use the reply card and postage-paid envelope might have a bigger megaphone, but, with the enclosed with this newsletter to send your most generous gift help of patriotic Americans like you, we can today. Thank you. take them on every step of the way. Sincerely, Thank you again and stay tuned for all the exciting things we’ve got coming your way! L. Brent Bozell III Founder and President AUGUST 2019 3 Conservative Leaders Call on Facebook to Stand Up To Antifa’s Outrageous Violence The radical, left-wing domestic terrorist “The attack on journalist Andy Ngo is not fake news, is not group Antifa (“anti-fascist”) has been attacking merely words that people claim is hurtful, but is a serious conservatives and Trump supporters since 2017, and violent crime. Facebook needs to explain why it moves employing violence and brutality to destroy property to de-platform and stifle the voices of peaceful conservatives while allowing its platform to be used by radical leftist and injure people. In a June 29 attack in Portland, fascists like Rose City Antifa to organize events that routinely Ore., online photojournalist Andrew Ngo was beaten result in violent assaults against innocent bystanders.” up by Antifa terrorists — dressed all in black and — Heartland Institute Interim President Jim Lakely wearing masks — and suffered a brain hemorrhage “By continuing to allow Antifa- and a torn ear lobe. related groups to spew hate on Despite Antifa’s use of its platform, Facebook executives violence and incitement of and its board of directors are violence, Facebook allows the now tacitly encouraging violence terrorist group to use its social against conservatives. Facebook’s media platform to organize and opposition to my proposal seeking communicate while it censors ideological balance on the and de-platforms conservative company’s board is proof positive that it has no interest in hearing groups. from conservatives.” In response to this tacit — Justin Danhof, general counsel, support for domestic terrorism, National Center for Public Policy Research MRC President Brent Bozell and “As a former journalist myself, other conservative leaders, there’s no excuse whatsoever on July 3, called on Facebook for my former profession not to enforce its policy against exposing Antifa for what it is, a violent groups equally. Below terrorist communistic controlled are some of their statements. anti-American hate group. I’m disgusted with my former “The Department of Homeland profession’s lack of objective Security has classified Antifa’s reporting. Sad.” activities as ‘domestic terrorist — 60 Plus Association Chairman Jim violence.’ … [Facebook’s] Martin community standards certainly condemn violence and they “The hypocrisy of Facebook is stunning. It shamelessly claim to have ‘always banned individuals or organizations censors conservative opinions while allowing Antifa, which that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of routinely assaults journalists, to operate freely.