Media Trackers? More like miserable hacks.

Over the past few years, a number of pseudo (read, fake) “news” websites have sprung up here in Wisconsin, and many of those sites purport to be “non-partisan” in nature. One such site is Media Trackers, aptly referred to as “miserable hacks” by capper of Cognitive Dissidence. According to its website, Media Trackers is a “non-partisan investigative watchdog dedicated to promoting accountability in the media and government across Wisconsin through cutting edge research and communications initiatives,” but a quick scan of the site shows that there’s absolutely nothing “non-partisan” about Media Trackers or its “research and communications initiatives.”

In fact, there seems to be little to differentiate Media Trackers from any number of right-wing front groups (WPRI, the MacIver Institute, Wisconsin Reporter) put into place to try and spread the propaganda of their sponsors (Koch brothers, the Bradley Foundation) like so much manure.

Earlier this week, Brian Sikma of Media Trackers breathlessly reported on the emergence of an anonymously submitted (and no doubt selectively edited) video showing two young women signing a petition to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker, and while reporting on the video, Sikma (pictured on the right in all his nonpartisan-ship) asserted that the two young women pictured on the video were under the age of 18 and were therefore perpetrating election fraud by signing recall petitions. Not content to assert the women in question were under the age of 18, Sikma also alleged the women were bribed with cigarettes to sign the recall petitions.

Uninterested in getting to the truth of the matter, Brian Sikma appears to have put forth absolutely no effort to ascertain the veracity of his reporting, because after all, what good is the truth if it doesn’t serve your partisan objectives? However, while young Mr. Sikma may have been uninterested in finding out the truth, Emily Mills of Dane101 did find out the truth, verifying for herself that the two young women in question were actually adults and were therefore eligible to sign recall petitions.

The fact is, Brian Sikma and Media Trackers are about as “non-partisan” as I am, which is to say they’re completely and utterly partisan. However, unlike Brian Sikma and Media Trackers, at least I’m honest about being a partisan.

If you want to read more on the farce that is Media Trackers, Cory Liebmann of Eye on Wisconsin has his own excellent spin on this whole situation.