The Top Ten Repeat Offenders
We have identified 85 websites that published falsehoods about both COVID-19 and the 2020 U.S. election. Of the sites that published falsehoods about both topics, these 10 received the most social media engagement in 2020. They are listed by engagement, with the most widely shared at number one.
1 ► Breitbart.com
A news and commentary site that has advocated for President Donald Trump’s nationalist and populist policies and does not disclose this agenda.
2 ► Theblaze.com
The website of The Blaze, a conservative media network founded by commentator Glenn Beck.
3 ► Theepochtimes.com
The website of The Epoch Times, a conservative newspaper founded by members of a spiritual group persecuted in China.
4 ► Lawenforcementtoday.com
A website providing news and information for law enforcement professionals.
5 ► Trendingpolitics.com
An anonymously operated news site connected to a network of Facebook pages with millions of followers.
6 ► Wnd.com
A website originally known as Worldnetdaily that has advanced conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and DNC staffer Seth Rich.
7 ► Lifesitenews.com
A website that publishes news and opinion on anti-abortion activism and legislation.
8 ► Thegatewaypundit.com
A news site run by blogger Jim Hoft that has promoted conspiracy theories on topics including the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting.
9 ► Redstate.com
A right-leaning news site that identifies most writers and editors only with pseudonyms.
10 ► Rushlimbaugh.com
The website for The Rush Limbaugh Show, the syndicated radio program hosted by the conservative political commentator.
Newsguard also highlighted 10 sites that produce content that is truthful, compelling, credible and transparent. However, due to their relatively small staffs or the niche topics they cover, they typically receive little social media engagement. They are:
1 ► Therepublic.com
The website of The Republic, a daily newspaper covering Columbus, Indiana, in the southern portion of the state.
2 ► Whig.com
The website for The Herald-whig, a newspaper based in Quincy, Illinois, that covers the city of Quincy and surrounding communities in the west central portion of the state.
3 ► Oklahomawatch.org
The website for Oklahomawatch.org, a nonprofit news organization that publishes in-depth, data-based coverage of Oklahoma politics and social issues.
4 ► Theincline.com
A website covering news, politics, arts and culture in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
5 ► Healthfeedback.org
A fact-checking site that evaluates the credibility of health and medical claims made by news organizations or circulating on social media.
6 ► Retractionwatch.com
Blog and database dedicated to chronicling retractions of articles from scientific journals. The site states that its mission is “tracking retractions as a window into the scientific process.”
7 ► Triad-city-beat.com
The website of Triad City Beat, an alternative weekly newspaper that covers news and culture in the North Carolina Triad cities of Winston-salem, High Point and Greensboro.
8 ► Myrecordjournal.com
The website for the Record-journal, a daily newspaper based in Meriden, Connecticut.
9 ► Crainscleveland.com
The website of Crain’s Cleveland Business, a weekly magazine that covers finance and industry for the city and northeastern Ohio.
10 ► Wctrib.com
The website of the West Central Tribune, a daily newspaper serving Willmar, Minnesota, and surrounding parts of western and central Minnesota.
And among the 15 percent of U.s.-based sites that earned a perfect score from Newsguard, these 10 received the most social media engagement in 2020. They are:
1 Nbcnews.com
2 Nytimes.com
3 Msn.com
4 Washingtonpost.com
5 Npr.org
6 Businessinsider.com
7 Usatoday.com
8 Newsweek.com
9 Politico.com
10 Theatlantic.com
DISCLOSURE: Newsweek, MSN and Business Insider have business relationships with Newsguard or its founders. Full details can be found on each site’s Nutrition Label.