Snopes Retracts Dozens of Articles After Review Finds Co-founder Plagiarized

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times

David Mikkelson, often writing under a pseudonym, copied and pasted entire paragraphs from news websites

Snopes, a fact-checking website, has retracted at least 54 articles after finding its co-founder and CEO repeatedly plagiarized content from other websites.

David Mikkelson, the Snopes co-founder, has been suspended as the website completes an internal review of the issue.

The review so far has uncovered 54 stories that Mikkelson wrote using the pseudonym “Jeff Zarronandia” or were published under a generic “Snopes Staff” byline, Snopes senior management said in a statement on Friday.

The stories used “appropriated material,” the management said.

Mikkelson plagiarized entire paragraphs from news websites for the articles, according to an Epoch Times review of some of the articles.

For example, a 2015 story about Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis denying requests from gay couples for marriage licenses, matches nearly word-for-word a Reuters article about the development.

A 2016 story under Mikkelson’s name about the death of boxer Muhammad Ali pulled a paragraph from an NBC article.

Readers who go to the Snopes articles are met with an alert that the content has been retracted.

“The post was retracted because some or all of its content was taken from other sources without proper attribution,” the pages state.

Each page now includes a link to the stories from which Mikkelson plagiarized.

The plagiarism was first identified by BuzzFeed News, which contacted Snopes, triggering the internal investigation.

Mikkelson, who did not respond to a request for comment, told BuzzFeed that what he did stemmed from not having formal journalism training.

“I didn’t come from a journalism background,” he said. “I wasn’t used to doing news aggregation. A number of times I crossed the line to where it was copyright infringement. I own that.”

Snopes did not answer emailed questions.

Snopes writers said in a joint statement that they condemned what Mikkelson did.

By Zachary Stieber

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Trump’s Middle East Triumph is Worth Celebrating Even As Peace Remains Elusive 

President Trump’s bold foreign policy defies globalist appeasement, showcasing unwavering American strength and decisive leadership on the world stage.

Are conservatives fighting a fiction of woke?

Wokery, it hurts to say it, is too disorganized to have an organized cosmology or doctrine of metaphysical belief.

Illinois Democrat Offenders Reveal Party

The crime of J.B Pritzker and Brandon Johnson in this episode of American history is called subversion at the least , but could be as serious as treason.

Inside the Public School Librarian Jihad to Keep Transgender Propaganda on Shelves

Public school librarians are doing all they can to keep child tranny propaganda flowing directly into the malleable minds of their charges.

Five Reasons Why The Latest Czech Elections Were So Important

Populist-nationalist politician Andrej Babis is poised to return to the premiership after his party's victory. Here are 5 reasons why this is so important.

Antifa Is Threatening Families of Law Enforcement: Homeland Security

Family members of law enforcement officers are facing threats from individuals affiliated with the far-left extremist group Antifa, the DHS said in an Oct. 10 X post.

Pentagon Creating New Counter-Narcotics Joint Task Force in Southern Command, Hegseth Says

Sec of War Pete Hegseth said President Trump has directed the creation of a new counter-narcotics joint task force in SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.

Key Takeaways From Virginia Gubernatorial Election Debate

Spanberger and Earle-Sears had significant exchanges on the govt shutdown, transgender issues, and abortion during Gubernatorial debate.

Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize and dedicated it to President Trump for his support of our cause!”

Trump Says He May Invoke Insurrection Act in Portland If Necessary

President Donald Trump on Oct. 6 said he may consider invoking the Insurrection Act in Portland, Oregon, if necessary.

Trump: All Medium, Heavy Duty Trucks Entering US Will See 25 Percent Tariff on Nov. 1

President Trump announced on Monday that all medium and heavy-duty trucks entering the United States will see a 25 percent tariff starting on Nov. 1.

Treasury Names Social Security Commissioner as CEO of IRS

Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent announced that Frank Bisignano, the head of the Social Security Administration (SSA), will also serve as CEO of the IRS.

Agencies Terminated, Descoped 94 Wasteful Contracts With $8.5 Billion Ceiling Value, Says DOGE

Various federal government agencies have terminated and descoped 94 wasteful contracts over the past five days, DOGE said in an Oct. 4 post on X.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central