• As dissed on Fox NewS •

Shooting the Messenger

online reporting by INDependent journalist Dean Sterling Jones

Category: Law and Politics

  • Erdoğan Censorship Demand Links Him to ISIS

    Turkey’s authoritarian president demands U.S. social media giants censor critical posts, tweets, and satirical cartoons linking him to Islamic terrorism. In 2016 and 2017, I blogged about takedown demands sent by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, targeting satirical cartoons and “humiliating” news reports comparing him to Hitler. Turkey’s censorial circus continues with yet another round…

    Read more: Erdoğan Censorship Demand Links Him to ISIS

  • Fake News Ban Targets Political Speech, Sexual Content

    Germany’s recent fake news ban is already being abused by would-be censors The Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz (NetzDG) law, which came into force in October, requires social media websites to remove “fake news” and “hate speech” or risk fines of up to 50 million euros (40 million pounds). While intended to stop the spread of disinformation and hateful…

    Read more: Fake News Ban Targets Political Speech, Sexual Content

  • The Takedown Conspiracy (Redux)

    TechDirt, Volokh Conspiracy hoist mystery defamer claimer Earlier this week, I blogged about an anonymous defamation takedown request of articles by The Washington Post and Techdirt re: forged court orders intended to force Google to deindex links. Yesterday, Techdirt and The Volokh Conspiracy hoisted the mystery complainant. source Via “Techdirt, Volokh Conspiracy Targeted With Bogus…

    Read more: The Takedown Conspiracy (Redux)

  • Russian Media Regulator Targets Award-Winning Trump Critic

    Russia’s media regulator is trying to censor an award-winning news website that reported on the Robert Mueller investigation Roskomnadzor, a Moscow state-owned media regulator, has sent Google a court order demanding that it delist an award-winning opposition news website that reported about Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. Grani, a popular Russian website that according to Reporters…

    Read more: Russian Media Regulator Targets Award-Winning Trump Critic

  • Wonkette Roasts Brittain

    Shooting the Messenger cited by Wonkette article about Arizona Senate candidate Craig R. Brittain’s revenge porn past source Via “We Need To Discuss This Revenge Porn Douchebro Running For Jeff Flake’s Senate Seat” by Robyn Pennacchia, Wonkette, January 4, 2018: Meet Craig Brittain! He is hoping to replace Jeff Flake and be the next senator…

    Read more: Wonkette Roasts Brittain

  • Oh Betsy!

    Did someone from Betsy DeVos’ investment firm try to scrub unfavourable information about members of the DeVos family from online bio? Last month, I blogged that former Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo paid an employee from his own PR firm to scrub Wikipedia of references linking him to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The story was…

    Read more: Oh Betsy!

  • Top Trumps Endorse Sater

    Top Trump Organization executives endorse controversial “Russia-gate” figure Felix Sater on business networking website LinkedIn As the federal investigation into Russia’s alleged election meddling heats up, a controversial Moscow-born real estate investor and former “Senior Advisor to Donald Trump” is back in the spotlight. Felix Sater gained notoriety during the 2016 election when his criminal past became…

    Read more: Top Trumps Endorse Sater

  • Sekulow Gets Blindsided

    Trump-affiliated lawyer Jordan Sekulow’s rambling on-air response to news that former Trump adviser Michael Flynn had been charged with lying to the FBI Amid the American carnage of yesterday’s news that former national security adviser Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI, you might have missed this gem via Trump-affiliated lawyer…

    Read more: Sekulow Gets Blindsided

  • Faux News about Fox News?

    Did Fox bury news that former Trump adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI? In October, I helped debunk the claim that Fox News failed to report the recent indictment of former Trump campaign aide Paul Manafort in favour of a story about cheeseburger emojis. Now comes the claim that Fox…

    Read more: Faux News about Fox News?

  • Caputo Rattles His Saber

    Ex-Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo threatens legal action against ThinkProgress for reporting that he helped improve Vladimir Putin’s image in the United States Earlier today, the progressive news website reported that Donald Trump’s campaign is to create a legal defence fund for all staffers involved in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of possible collusion…

    Read more: Caputo Rattles His Saber