Panic Time?...Washington Post Walks Back its 'Fake News' Claim

By Daniel McAdams

[The following is an email update available exclusively for RPI subscribers. Add your email to the list to get future updates.]

Dear Friends of the Ron Paul Institute:

Wow! It was so great to hear back from so many of you when I asked what we should do about the Washington Post's scurrilous and defamatory article claiming that the Ron Paul Institute -- along with other major sites such as Drudge, ZeroHedge, David Stockman's Contra Corner, Counterpunch, and others -- were actually tools of the Kremlin whose secret mission is to undermine Americans' faith in the democratic process. Funny, most of us would agree that it's the Washington Post and the rest of the "mainstream" media that are engaged in "fake news" propaganda on the behalf of government entities. They are the real threat to our peace and prosperity!

So I asked you for your opinion about what we should do next and you filled up my "inbox" with great ideas. Thank you!

I have been Tweeting and communicating with others on the "Washington Post blacklist" and to be sure a buzz has been created that we find out today has caused a bit of concern on the part of the Washington Post. Though the newspaper has not denounced its embarrassment of an article and apologized to those it defamed, it is clear that the Washington Post's lawyers are warning it to back off: all of a sudden a note from the Editor of the newspaper appeared today in front of the article distancing the Washington Post from the very source that was central to the article's claim that hundreds of leading US websites are secretly working at the behest of the Kremlin. 

Here's what the Editor of the Washington Post inserted today in front of the scandalous article from November 24th:

Editor’s Note: The Washington Post on Nov. 24 published a story on the work of four sets of researchers who have examined what they say are Russian propaganda efforts to undermine American democracy and interests. One of them was PropOrNot, a group that insists on public anonymity, which issued a report identifying more than 200 websites that, in its view, wittingly or unwittingly published or echoed Russian propaganda. A number of those sites have objected to being included on PropOrNot’s list, and some of the sites, as well as others not on the list, have publicly challenged the group’s methodology and conclusions. The Post, which did not name any of the sites, does not itself vouch for the validity of PropOrNot’s findings regarding any individual media outlet, nor did the article purport to do so. Since publication of The Post’s story, PropOrNot has removed some sites from its list.

Here's a quick translation: we tried to pull one over on you but too many people called our bluff. So we are going to pretend that we had no ill intent when we used as a prime source for our article claiming that the Kremlin was controlling major independent news websites a dubious and anonymous source that we never really checked out. 

This is a real "cover your rear" move by the Washington Post in attempt to quell the mounting tide of criticism of their neo-McCarthyist blacklist of major independent media sites.

Let's keep their feet to the fire! I think we have a good deal more spooking to do. They are on the run and we do not dare quit now!

I will keep you posted as this breaking event develops. We are your voice against the mainstream fake news websites. 
 
Stay tuned for more and please don't hesitate to email me with questions or comments.

Daniel McAdams
Executive Director
Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity