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Pseudo-Journalism

We aim to present you news from all currently active English language online news sites. Credibility and trustworthiness varies greatly, and we recommend exercising caution when viewing the news of certain publications. Some publications may present content as journalistic, but not adhering to journalistic standards such as accurate, factual and balanced reporting, or harm limitation.

Pseudo-Journalism: Pink Slime

News outlets which are designed to appear objective, but whose primary interest is partisan, supporting particular parties or policies rather than public interest or journalism. Political bias may not be immediately obvious, but coverage is ultimately driven by political interests. Pink slime efforts are often micro-targeted at local communities, especially in U.S. swing states & politically divided areas. They are designed to appear as legitimate local news publications, covering local interest stories alongside partisan content. These publications are thriving in news deserts, attracting staff and audiences of now closed publications, and benefiting from the high-trust, high-value reputation of local news. However, they are (advertently or inadvertently) eroding trust in local news, which is generally considered to be non-partisan.

Pink slime news publications are owned by a handful of U.S. owners, often with partisan and lobbyist financial backing, which lack transparency about their true aims, funding, and ownership structures. They are characterized by similar writing and formatting across articles & publications, using similar automation and templating to decrease operating costs and increase efficiency. Pink slime sites are prolific, and now account for around half of all local news publications in the U.S.