How Liberals Will Attack Your Credibility to Control the Narrative

Michael Deviney

“This claim about election fraud is disputed.”

Warning labels like this are growing exponentially at an alarming rate. It seems that every free thought is fact-checked by a third party, oftentimes as justification for censoring content.

This tactic, invoked by media outlets and social media platforms, is being used to silence and shut down debate on a range of topics in society today. Censorship and cancel culture are growing issues in many American institutions.

I know. This issue impacted me personally.

Last month, I was asked to write an op-ed explaining Republican gains in Congress by The Ithacan, my campus newspaper.

My submitted op-ed was shared internally with over 50 members of their editorial staff for review and was approved to be published.

The piece received immediate backlash. Within 24 hours of publication on Facebook and Twitter, the attacks began. I was called a Nazi and my family was attacked.

Criticism on the merits of my piece would have been perfectly acceptable, but this was defamatory rhetoric of the highest order.

What was my offense? I mentioned that there may have been fraud in this election and others in the past. I cited The Heritage Foundation’s credible work on the subject, including its Election Fraud Database.

The Ithacan took the rare step of removing the piece from its website and writing an editor’s note explaining its rationale for doing so.

To their credit, The Ithacan editors granted me an opportunity to resubmit the article, which was surprising. However, I had to fight tooth and nail to defend the credibility of my sources, including The Heritage Foundation, and to keep major points in the article.

The most perplexing aspect of this experience is that the same sources that were deemed problematic, and used as evidence for why the story was pulled, were allowed in the resubmission. That showed me the editorial process was in shambles.

As I sat waiting for the next round of social media hate, I realized that The Ithacan buried the article by sharing it in an existing Facebook thread deep in its timeline rather than posting it as a standalone where it was more likely to be seen by its audience. This was a clear example of The Ithacan taking additional steps to reduce the spread of information.

My experience is hardly the only example. It is becoming so commonplace that if a conservative dares to question liberal thinking, controversy follows.

Censorship appears in many forms, and attempts to discredit speakers are the latest tactic to silence conservatives and anyone who dares question authority. If you speak against the grain, the social media mob will attack your sources as pseudo-science, go after your credibility, and stop at nothing to block the discourse.

No one should be intimidated to give their opinion. We must stand up and speak out—don’t give in.

https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/01/05/how-liberals-will-attack-your-credibility-to-control-the-narrative

Leftmedia Aims to Cancel Independent Citizen Journalists

The old adage states there are always two sides to every story. Well, according to today’s Democrats and Leftmedia, such a notion is no longer applicable. In fact, in America today, the “other side of the story” is downright dangerous and must be squelched at every opportunity, and leftist Big Tech has been convinced to help do just that.

Independent journalist Andy Ngo recently asserted, “Left-wing journalists see an ally in Twitter and now feel emboldened to make more demands of censorship.” The reason that leftist journalists in bed with Big Tech are calling for more censorship has everything to do with advancing a leftist narrative with as little objective challenge as possible. It’s all about controlling the “news” that Americans receive in order to control how Americans think.

In America, the independent citizen journalist has always stood as a thorn in the side of the rich and powerful, challenging their ability to exert unlimited control over the national narrative.

As The Federalist’s Libby Emmons observes, “If it weren’t for the work of independent journalists and outlets, we would not have seen the violence that came with these protests, understood who was committing the violence, or gotten any insight into these disruptive movements under the surface of American culture.” And now, thanks to Big Tech doing the bidding of Democrats, “These journalists are now under threat of erasure by social media companies, and by those who are asking social media to target them.”

Ngo, who has risen in prominence in independent journalism for his efforts to expose the violence of antifa, has long been a target of the Left and Leftmedia. His accurate and brave on-the-ground journalism pokes holes in the Leftmedia’s dubious characterization of both conservatives and left-wing groups. They tried to get rid of Ngo for years, but now, with the help of Big Tech, they see the time as ripe for canceling and silencing not just Ngo but all independent citizen journalists.

In a very real sense, this is a classic example of a culture war. On one side is the wealthy establishment class that’s loathe to give up any of its immense control over the cultural levers of power. On the other are the independent journalists who have steadily been gaining greater cultural acceptance. After all, they — to borrow a favorite expression of the Left — “speak truth to power.”

https://patriotpost.us/articles/76966-leftmedia-aims-to-cancel-independent-citizen-journalists-2021-01-13

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My other blogs. Main ones below:

http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com (DISSECTING LEFTISM)

http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)

http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)

http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)

http://awesternheart.blogspot.com.au/ (THE PSYCHOLOGIST)

https://heofen.blogspot.com/ (MY OTHER BLOGS)

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