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Internet Archive Adds "Context" with Warnings
The Internet Archive is warning users about debunked 'zombie' coronavirus misinformation
The Internet Archive is alerting users when they've clicked on some stories that were debunked or taken down on the live web, following reports that people were spreading false coronavirus information through its Wayback Machine.
As NBC reporter Brandy Zadrozny noted on Twitter, the site includes a bright banner on one popular Medium post that was removed as misinformation. Its video archive also creates friction by making users log in to see some videos containing false information, like a reposted version of the conspiracy documentary Plandemic. These videos also include critical comments from Wayback Machine director Mark Graham who described the warnings to Zadrozny as an example of the "importance and value of context in archiving."
What Critical Thinking? Wayback Machine is Now Complicit in Big Tech Censorship
What critical thinking? Wayback Machine is now complicit in Big Tech censorship:
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 26 2020, @07:48PM (6 children)
There are many reasons the USSR collapsed, but one thing that played a major role in it was soft power from America.
Soft power of course is just making people "like" your ideas, views, culture, or whatever else. You can win wars without a single bullet being fired. And it doesn't have to be anything especially nefarious. For instance a Russian I have immense respect for at one point teared up talking about... Donald Duck. A grown man of no especial emotional disposition. Why? Under the government in the USSR media, news, information, and politics in general had been tightly controlled. This [johndclare.net] is a great list of jokes genuinely from the era that were somewhat commonly told, in private. One at least somewhat related to what we're talking about:
The reason Donald Duck was so important to him, and to many others, is because of what it represented. As he said, "Everybody was watching Donald Duck." It represented freedom from what had been decades of increasing control of media, discourse, and politics in general. Of course you probably see where I am going with this. RT is hardly Putin's news or whatever. It's just news. The only thing is that it doesn't play ball with our media manipulation.
For instance when a protester against Maduro set one of the aid trucks coming into Venezuela on fire, our media ran with the story that Maduro had attacked the convoy and numerous politicians used this to try to justify an more 'direct action' towards the country. Within 24 hours of the event, RT ran a story [rt.com] with video showing it was likely a protester who set the convoy on fire. A couple of weeks later, after it became clear the public wasn't down with an invasion, the US media finally and very briefly ran a handful of articles such as this one [nytimes.com] saying little more than what RT had weeks prior.
That is the reason for the huge push against RT by the US establishment. They cover stories that our media will not. Including ones such as this. Archive.org starting to play ball with media manipulation is the complete antithesis of everything it stood for. They will imminently be stepping up to full on censorship in relatively short order. In my opinion we are increasingly playing out a sort of role reversal of the USSR and it's simply fascinating. The regularity with which the 'bad guy propaganda' ends up being the more accurate source of information should indicate where the propaganda is coming from.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 26 2020, @09:18PM (5 children)
RT is *funded* by the Russian government.
Putin controls the Russian government.
Q.E.D.
There's no wiggle room there tovarisch.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 26 2020, @09:49PM (2 children)
The Russian-funded RT is just as important, if not more important, than the US-funded Voice of America.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 26 2020, @10:47PM (1 child)
Just as (or more) important For the Russian government (i.e., Valdimir Putin) it absolutely is. Just as VOA is for the US government
Comparing RT to Voice of America (which is *explicitly* a propaganda outlet for the US government) proves my point pretty completely.
Don't try to make the argument that RT is *anything but* an integral part of Putin's propaganda machine. Just as Voice of America is an integral part of the US' propaganda machine.
I don't trust VOA either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 26 2020, @11:53PM
They are biased and always looking for ways to embarrass the West, but RT publishes uncomfortable truths and unpopular opinions. That is why they are worth paying some attention to.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @04:42AM
Look into what news sites are funded by the Russian Direct Investment Fund [archive.is] after the money has made its way through Israel, Britain, and the banksters.
Hint: they're the ones screaming most loudly that everyone else is a Russian troll.
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @05:08AM
This argument requires substantial cognitive dissonance to even put forward. The exact same argument you're making there would suggest NPR is little more than Trump's opinions/views, BBC little more than Boris Johnson's opinions/views, and so on. Government funding of media does not imply absolute governmental control of said media. And similarly, "independence" of funding does not imply independence of thought. For instance the New York Times has increasingly overtly become a political tool for the DNC, though they have (to my knowledge) no formal ties or funding from such.
Beyond the logic here, you can also see this even in how things are covered. Before the media in the US became so politicized it was a normal thing for 'mutually exclusive' coverage on topics. An example today would be on the lockdowns. In the past you would have seen coverage both for and against lockdowns which is reflective of society in general. On RT you can find exactly that with numerous articles with views and arguments for both remaining in (if not strengthening) lockdowns, as well as views and arguments for the exact opposite. By contrast in the US media the media has colluded to not only focus exclusively on the side of the lockdowns, but to actively condemn and demonize any opposition to such. On this note the US media is increasingly even trying to create some narrative where if you oppose the lockdowns you must be some sort of a secret Russian troll or directly controlled by them. Let's just ignore the skyrocketing rates of deaths of despair [abc7news.com] --- no the only reason somebody might oppose the lockdown is because.. Putin. So again I'd ask again, where's the propaganda coming from?