I think Reality Winner should be freed, but I want to be clear about something: she isn’t a whistleblower. She didn’t expose any wrongdoing. She leaked an evidence-free document that The Intercept, in a juvenile rush to prove that it could Russiagate, blew way out of proportion.
I explain the problems with TI's reporting of the Reality Winner leak in this thread:
If you want to see an Intercept reporter given the opportunity to explain what the Reality Winner leak actually says, but refusing to do so (because it shows nothing of substance), watch or read my 2018 interview with The Intercept's Jim Risen: therealnews.com/what-does-the-…
If you want to know why The Intercept rushed out & overhyped Reality Winner's leak, look no further than editor Betsy "soft loose type collusion" Reed. TI reporters told NYT "they’d been pushed to rush the story to publication."
Not surprising, given Betsy's expressed views:
Another window into the prevailing editorial mindset at TI re: Russiagate: its co-founder, who is one of the few people who accurately covered the Russia story from the very start, was somehow deemed a *hindrance* to TI's ability to "credibly cover the Russia story":
BTW: Jim Risen, who is paid $305,000 to generate Russiagate fan fiction (when he feels like it), says The Intercept needs to raise $900,000. Supporting outlets that pay obscene salaries to parrot CIA propaganda is vital to saving bold, fearless journalism.
Please dig deep:
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Crazy how so many Western media outlets treat @bellingcat as a reliable, independent source without mentioning that it receives ample funding from Western states & cutouts. A UK gov't agency even privately noted that BC is "somewhat discredited."
I had my own brush w/ Bellingcat's "somewhat discredited" approach recently: they published a hoax in a pathetic bid to attack an OPCW whistleblower, and then accused me of hiding damning evidence that in reality didn't exist. thegrayzone.com/2020/10/28/dra…
Here's @democracynow credulously reporting the Navalny story from "the online investigative website Bellingcat", without mentioning that Bellingcat is a NATO member state-funded outlet. BC's funders include the US gov't regime change cutout, the National Endowment for Democracy:
Days after @TheGrayzoneNews reported explosive new leaks on OPCW's Syria cover-up (thegrayzone.com/2020/12/07/opc…), OPCW Director General Fernando Arias is appearing before the UN Security Council.
Russia's UN ambassador has asked OPCW Director General Arias multiple questions, including whether he will finally meet with the Douma probe inspectors whose findings were suppressed, and let them air their concerns:
Russian UN Rep. also asks Arias about June 2018 attempt to doctor the OPCW Douma team's original report & replace it with a bogus version. He cites an OPCW email published by @TheGrayzoneNews admitting the censorship but claiming it wasn't done at "behest" of Arias' predecessor.
I recommend The Intercept's newsletter just for their hilariously disingenuous fundraising emails. This billionaire-funded news outlet that employs some of the most overpaid people in the business has "Devastating News" -- it needs your money to save journalism:
The Intercept says it needs to raise $900,000. A few ideas:
-TI's editor in chief, a "Soft, Loose Collusion" Truther (
) who oversaw Reality Winner & other debacles, makes close to $500,000
-James Risen makes $305,000 to write Russiagate fan fiction
-They pay additionally obscene salaries for other columnists and op-ed writers that few people read
-The rent on their Park Avenue office -- with 360-degree panoramic views of New York City (I've sent it, it's lovely) -- would by itself sustain many mid-sized news outlets
BBC podcast "Mayday" tries to repair the reputation of Syria's White Helmets & their late founder. It also tries to discredit the OPCW whistleblowers. It does so with glaring falsehoods & omissions. Host @chloehadj pledged to answer my Qs, but hasn't yet: thegrayzone.com/2020/11/30/que…
I have outlined here just some of the major falsehoods, leaps of logic, and omissions in @chloehadj's series. If the BBC stands by this reporting, then I expect that it will welcome the opportunity to answer my questions.
.@JHWeissmann claimed Roger Stone/Trump camp “coordinated” w/ Wikileaks; mocked Russiagate critics; & asked: “what do they think they were right about?”
When we answered his Q by pointing out that his Stone claim is 100% bullshit, he complained about us being in his mentions:
.@JHWeissmann’s cowardly complaint is joined by @ryanlcooper, who will emerge from his #BlueAnon hole to take digs at us on here and in error-ridden columns but then scurry away whenever challenged to substantiate the xenophobic Russiagate conspiracy theory he’s bought into.