False Information Published Again By Factcheck.org | Sharyl Attkisson | Nov 26, 2020

DATED: NOVEMBER 26, 2020 BY SHARYL ATTKISSON

The propaganda site Factcheck.org falsely claims I “shared” a misleading “article” about masks. In reality, it a peer reviewed, published study that was complimented by WebMD for its design as “the gold standard.”

Read the study here.

Part of a familiar propaganda tactic is to try to discredit reporters and scientists who aren’t obeying the narrative.

I write about Factcheck.org & other fake fact check efforts in “The Smear” & my new book “Slanted.” Beware their disinformation.

Be on the lookout for fact checking, “curating,” and “media literacy” efforts/groups that are nothing more than disguised propaganda for corporate and political interests, such as Factcheck.org. Remember they are often the opposite of what they claim to be.

What’s fascinating and instructive, though, is @factcheckdotorg & other fake news groups not only attacking the peer reviewed published study because it’s off narrative but trying to controversialize those who dare share or discuss: a propaganda tactic I explain in “The Smear.”

Factcheck.org distributes pharmaceutical industry propaganda. It’s part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at Univ. of Pennsylvania, which gets a great deal of pharma money & employs the notorious vaccine industry propagandist Dr. Paul Offitt.

Read more about Dr. Offit and the false information and propaganda he distributes below.

An OC Register article dated Aug. 4, 2008 entitled “Dr. Paul Offit Responds” contained several disparaging statements that Dr. Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia made about CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson and her report. Upon further review, it appears that a number of Dr. Offit’s statements, as quoted in the OC Register article, were unsubstantiated and/or false. Attkisson had previously reported on the vaccine industry ties of Dr. Offit and others in a CBS Evening News report “How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?” July 25, 2008.  

Unsubstantiated statements include: Offit’s claim that Attkisson “lied”; and Offit’s claim that CBS News sent a “mean spirited and vituperative” email “over the signature of Sharyl Attkisson” stating “You’re clearly hiding something.” In fact, the OC Register has no evidence to support those claims. Further, Offit told the OC Register that he provided CBS News “the details of his relationship, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s relationship, with pharmaceutical company Merck.” However, documents provided by CBS News indicate Offit did not disclose his financial relationships with Merck, including a $1.5 million Hilleman chair he sits in that is co-sponsored by Merck. 

According to the CBS News’ documentation recently reviewed by the OC Register, the network requested (but Offit did not disclose) the entire profile of his professional financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies including: The amount of compensation he’d received from which companies in speaking fees; and pharmaceutical consulting relationships and fees. The CBS News documentation indicates Offit also did not disclose his share of past and future royalties for the Merck vaccine he co-invented. To the extent that unsubstantiated and/or false claims appeared in the OC Register and have been repeated by other organizations and individuals, the OC Register wishes to express this clarification for their reference and for the record.

Link to entire Offit article below: