The Left are in an uproar over a website called The California Republican that is operated by Congressman Devin Nunes’ political team. It’s even been smeared as “fake news,” a term which has largely lost its real meaning and is just a stand-in for “content I disagree with.”
The website, which is currently down due to what seems like a DDOS attack (they should setup Cloudflare ASAP), posted general political content along with explainers and fact checks about the “Nunes Memo.” Was it biased? Of course it was.
But, unlike the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, and other outlets, the website discloses the fact that it is coordinating with the congressman’s political team by including the legally-required disclaimer noting the website was both paid for and authorized by Devin Nunes.
You’ll never see a mention that the story on NYTimes.com was prompted from a background email by a Democrat operative, nor will the Washington Post disclose that its story was written from questions drafted by a Democrat staffer and then forwarded to their Republican opponent’s campaign (without even bothering to hide it!). But that’s a post for another day.
The promise of the internet, the democratization of technology, and especially the affordability of building websites is that anyone can become their own publisher. The legacy gatekeepers can’t monitor the thousands of new openings to your attention being created every day. And anyone with the right combination of quality, resources, and community can launch a successful publishing venture.
That’s why I’m surprised there aren’t MORE members of congress with their own news websites.
You simply can no longer rely on someone else to tell your version of the story for you. As recently as ten years ago, you needed the media with their access to newsprint, airwaves, and bandwidth to get the word out. In 2018, you have to unshackle yourself from this filter.
The only thing worse is not even telling your side of the story with all of the tools at your disposal.