‘Biased’ Fact-Checker Targets PragerU

August 23rd, 2021 7:00 AM

An independent fact-checker has instructed readers to “proceed with caution” when viewing content from PragerU.

NewsGuard described itself as “The Internet Trust Tool,” and claimed it rates websites for truth and credibility. NewsGuard gave PragerU a rating of 57 out of 100.

PragerU isn’t buying it. The educational nonprofit has said the fact-checker targeted the organization as a news site because of its conservative leanings.

PragerU explained that the fact-checker is responsible for the loss of a contract to host videos on its own site. According to the organization, when PragerU reached out to NewsGuard in an effort to raise its score, the fact-checker asked questions about donors, COVID-19, and Planned Parenthood. The score remained the same.

The organization’s latest fundraising email said its personal.

“Clearly, NewsGuard simply thinks our values and ideas shouldn’t exist online,” said the email.

“Corporations, social media companies—even libraries—handsomely pay these third-party online nannies to label anything the left disagrees with as ‘fake news,’” it added. “Hiding behind fact-checkers, they then deplatform or censor organizations like PragerU...taking zero responsibility for censorship!” 

PragerU also argued the rating was another example of censorship by Big Tech: “This reality is...fact-checkers like NewsGuard are the political elite’s tool for censorship. Funded by giant corporations protecting their power and bottom lines, these self-appointed 'Arbiters of Truth' are determining what is true and what is false.”

The organization has also launched petition against NewsGuard on its website.

Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.