QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for the purpose of profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact checked on a per article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate American Web Media a right leaning Questionable source based on sensational headlines that do not always match the story, very poor sourcing, promotion of conspiracy theories, a few failed fact checks and a complete lack of transparency.
Detailed Report
Reasoning: Sensationalism, Poor Sourcing, Conspiracy, Failed Fact Checks, Lack of Transparency
Country: USA
World Press Freedom Rank: USA 48/180
History
Founded in 2013, American Web Media or AWM.com is a clickbait website that repackages news stories with the intent of clicks and social media sharing. According to their about page they state “We believe in upholding family values, truth, respect, and tradition. Our stories help you celebrate the past, enjoy the present, and plan for the future. These are the stories that make you feel. These are the stories that matter.”
American Web Media completely lacks transparency as they do not name an editor or owner, further author names appear fictitious and do not offer bios. For example, one author is just called “Alice”, with no other information provided.
Funded by / Ownership
Although the website does not disclose who the owner is, at the bottom of the each page it lists a copyright to Internet ROI, Inc., which is a Massachusetts based internet marketing company, founded by Chris Cole in 2005. The AWM website generates revenue through advertising.
Analysis / Bias
In review, AWM reproduces news stories that are broken down into the following categories: Animals, Bizarre, Family, Food and Inspire. Headlines are typically sensationalized to promote clicks such as this: Parents Are Furious After Homeless Take Over An Area Outside Of A California School. While this story offers supposed pictures, there isn’t any form of sourcing to back the headline. In another sensational story Rosie O’Donnell Accuses Donald Trump Of Having Sex With Ivanka, there is again a complete lack of sourcing. Politically, AWM leans right with stories such as these
- President Trump Thanks AOC For A Boost In His Approval Ratings
- Restaurants Are Complaining When “Cranky” Bernie Sanders Shows Up
- A 33-Year-Old Woman Is Left Barren After Canada’s Socialized Medicine “Treated” Her
A factual search reveals a few failed fact checks.
- Spy cameras are commonly hidden in hotel room hooks. – MOSTLY FALSE
- Studies have demonstrated that cooking with aluminum foil can result in the ingestion of aluminum, which is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. – MOSTLY FALSE
Overall, we rate American Web Media a right leaning Questionable source based on sensational headlines that do not always match the story, very poor sourcing, promotion of conspiracy theories, a few failed fact checks and a complete lack of transparency. (D. Van Zandt 2/1/2017) Updated (9/17/2019)
Source: https://awm.com
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