LIBERAL-FUNDED INTERNATIONAL FACT-CHECKING NETWORK DECRIES YOUTUBE’S ‘INSUFFICIENT’ CENSORSHIP

The leftist International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), a project of the Poynter Institute, published an open letter whining that YouTube “is allowing its platform to be weaponized by unscrupulous actors to manipulate and exploit others, and to organize and fundraise themselves.” In the IFCN’s draconian view, “Current measures are proving insufficient.” IFCN exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to decry how “destructive disinformation and misinformation can be for social harmony, democracy, and public health; too many lives and livelihoods have been ruined, and far too many people have lost loved ones to disinformation.” Poynter is the same organization that tried to blacklist 29 conservative outlets in 2019 as “UnNews.” 

MRC Free Speech America identified at least 11 major left-wing organizations that fund Poynter Institute to the tune of at least $15,755,197 between 2007 and 2020, according to Foundation Directory Online data. Some of these groups are connected to left-wing billionaires such as George Soros (Bill Gates co-founder), Craig Newmark creator Craig Newmark, Pierre Omidyar founder eBay.

The liberal John S. and James L. Knight Foundation — notorious for funding overtly left-wing journalism operations — gave the lion’s share of the funding to Poynter: $7,205,200 at least. Nikole Hannah-Jones — the leftist behind the revisionist 1619 Project — serves as Knight’s Chair in Race and Journalism. The Ford Foundation, which reportedly “funded organizations closely associated with violent [left-wing] activists,” gave $2,600,000 to Poynter.