Really?! Is this what has become of ATS?

a reply to: MessageforAll

I'm with the OP... What the # ATS!? If you keep # like this up, I'll have no problem leaving your website! It's up to us to choose, not you but if you think your ownership justifies something like this, we shouldn't trust you. Why? Because this should have been done to most American MSM years before RT became as popular as it is now.

If:

www.abc.net.au...

or

www.bbc.co.uk...

does not have "State owned news service" or similar then this is unfairly singling out Russia. A bit of equity please

I am of the position that the site owners can do what ever they want with the site. That effectively means that yes, they are allowed to forbid links and label sources as they like.

Do i agree with the labeling of RT as a state-run propaganda source? No, not necessarily.

RT may be state-run, and may push propaganda, but they aren't all too dissimilar to Fox News. Fox News pushes propaganda, even though it is a corporate entity.

Is ATS going to label Fox News as a propaganda outlet for the conservative right? I doubt it. Is ATS going to label MSNBC as a propaganda outlet for the liberal left? I doubt that also.

It would appear as though ATS, while trying to inform the members that RT is a state-run source, is effectively contradicting the site's motto of 'Deny Ignorance'. On one hand, it is denying ignorance by making clear RT's position. On the other hand, it is doing nothing to improve the knowledge of members, as the owners of ATS are now themselves, enforcing an approved opinion on them.

The owners are both, denying ignorance, while allowing it to spread by pushing a specific perspective.

originally posted by: Antipathy17
I'm with the OP... What the # ATS!? If you keep # like this up, I'll have no problem leaving your website!

(Putting aside your language, which makes me cringe) where would you go?

That's the only reason I'm still here.

originally posted by: AlphaHawk
a reply to: Lady_Tuatha

The biggest difference I see.. RT would never post anything against its own government, FOX, CNN and the like are partisan for sure, but they at least are sometimes critical against the government..

PROPAGANDA IS PROPAGANDA IS PROPAGANDA

Partisan Propaganda does not make it more acceptable.

a reply to: MessageforAll
I agree that there's no necessity for this, and it insults the members. However, that's not the 3 Amigos style, so I suspect something else is in play.

a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Agreed, and Daaskapitaal, I expected nothing less from you, a nice well written comment.

This is what I couldn't formulate in my OP lol, lack of English skills.

All things said, this is a pretty big event for ATS, it shows its not independent anymore.
Deny Ignorance motto disappeared, and it shows.

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck
a reply to: MessageforAll
I agree that there's no necessity for this, and it insults the members. However, that's not the 3 Amigos style, so I suspect something else is in play.

I'd have to say that I agree with you. We are sometimes clued in on the happenings behind the scenes and sometimes we aren't. There may very well be something that has come down the pike that we don't yet know about. As this seems to be a REALLY recent change, we may yet get an answer on why they felt this was the best way or the only way they could keep allowing RT to be used as a source.

Russia Today
rt.com...

Interesting...

originally posted by: AlphaHawk
a reply to: MessageforAll

Everything you've just described in regards to what they've done with linking to RT, can technically apply to those banned sites too.

Yet you're ok with that?
It's also clear that a lot of people, and I'm not being rude, it's the truth, can't think for themselves, there is way too much confirmation bias here.

What your saying doesn't hold much water tbh, beforeitsnews and scorcha faal is known to fabricate stories just for the website views. Making stories out of air.

In this case its about a person deciding for its members what is biased, and what is propaganda. ATS is effectively telling you what to think of that source, apart from singling out RT, sources shouldn't be labeled, people should be smart enough to know that EVERYTHING is agenda driven, even ATS obviously.

But i'm sure, this won't convince you, i'l leave to other members to explain what I mean, i'm sure the CORE subject of my OP was clear.

a reply to: Nikola014

Yes you can still change the text if you edit the code, if you link an article default, without anything else it will show state run propaganda.

a reply to: Mary Rose

I'll go the same place everyone else links the information from... just gotta look.

a reply to: Mary Rose

I'll go the same place everyone else links the information from... just gotta look.

originally posted by: MessageforAll
a reply to: JohnnyCanuck

Agreed, and Daaskapitaal, I expected nothing less from you, a nice well written comment.

This is what I couldn't formulate in my OP lol, lack of English skills.

All things said, this is a pretty big event for ATS, it shows its not independent anymore.
Deny Ignorance motto disappeared, and it shows.

Thank you.

Unfortunately, i do expect this thread to be closed, but before it does, i would like to quote an excerpt from ATS' 'about' page:

The simple yet effective motto of our membership is "deny ignorance", which signifies an effort to apply the principals of critical thought and peer review to the provocative topics covered within. More than a slogan, our members have embraced the motto as our collective cultural standard, demanding all to aspire to a higher standard. These simple two words have galvanized a broad membership that spans the spectrum from highly speculative conspiracy writers to staunch doubters. The result is a unique collaboration of diverse individuals rallying under this simple statement to learn from each other, discover new truths, and imagine new ideas that expand our minds.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The actions of labeling RT a state-run propaganda source has undeniably undermined the essential meaning of 'deny ignorance'. Members can not apply critical thought or peer review to a source when the ownership has already determined it and all of its contents as 'propaganda'.

I find the move greatly disturbing, and i hope it is not a foreshadowing of things to come. Something tells me that this is either a show of force, after the previous backlash against the site, or the stakeholders of ATS are wanting the ownership to distance themselves from the use of Russian media outlets...either way, this is not a good turn of events.

Thank you for raising these important events.

a reply to: MessageforAll

I don't think denying ignorance is being denied. How is it being denied?

RT is a state run propaganda source. Everyone knows it... same as IR is.. but people acknowledge that anything that is ".ir" is state run propaganda - yet, when its RT somehow it's not being acknowledged.

Why wont people acknowledge that, and ask for additional sources - additional proof - same as they do for the Iranian state run sites?

Denying ignorance when it comes to a shia muslim state yet refusing to do the same when its being pushed by a communist state?

It's apparent people aren't questioning RT even a little bit, and I for one agree with the site owners in this. It should be questioned just as much as Iranian sites... yet it's not - it's like people don't really understand this.

So, in the interest of truth, help people to really understand and acknowledge it. They SHOULD be questioning RT just as much as Iranian media, or any other media. And people just aren't.

originally posted by: Nikola014
Russia Today
rt.com...

Interesting...

I'd agree.

Interesting.
Maybe something is up.
We just don't know about it yet.

*Puts tinfoil hat on.*

originally posted by: OpinionatedB
a reply to: MessageforAll...
Denying ignorance when it comes to a shia muslim state yet refusing to do the same when its being pushed by a communist state?

It's apparent people aren't questioning RT even a little bit, and I for one agree with the site owners in this. It should be questioned just as much as Iranian sites... yet it's not - it's like people don't really understand this.

So, in the interest of truth, help people to really understand and acknowledge it. They SHOULD be questioning RT just as much as Iranian media, or any other media. And people just aren't.

Wow, not to turn this into personal attacks, but its kinda hard to take any of your comment seriously with those comments.

Its not for ATS to decide what its propaganda or what is not, its for its members, and frankly if you look at the recent threads concerning RT, EVERYONE acknowledges that RT is propaganda ( and biased ), no one is claiming its 100% pure or anything like that. Maybe a few paid people, but the majority knows its just another tool for an agenda. But if you want to learn the truth you have to look at everything and find the spots where both sources find common ground.

We don't need forcefeeding, ATS is basically doing what your government is doing to you. Telling you how to think, let your government decide who are the enemy's, who you should fear, who to trust.

a reply to: MessageforAll

I have to agree I have seen the BBC run propaganda based news articles too. This is poor show..

a reply to: Rainbowresidue

Don't you remember the things that were going on during the first cold war? It's starting to feel just like that again, even worst...

I must say im deeply disappointed that we are seeing stuff like this here on ATS...how was it..deny ignorance?