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 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 CovertAction Magazine Left-Biased and Questionable based on the promotion of conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, propaganda, poor sourcing, lack of transparency, numerous false claims, and failed fact checks.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, Propaganda, Poor Sourcing, Lack of Transparency, Failed Fact Checks
Bias Rating: LEFT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Magazine
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
CovertAction Magazine was launched in 2018 as a project of CovertAction Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in New York. It was co-founded by Philip Agee, William Kunstler, Michael Ratner, Ellen Ray, William Schaap, James Wilcott, Elsie Wilcott, and Louis Wolf. The magazine was formerly known as CovertAction Quarterly, an American journal published from 1978 to 2005.
The magazine focuses on issues like intervention, war, and covert actions. It often criticizes U.S. foreign policy, intelligence, and U.S. imperialism.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
Subscriptions and donations fund the magazine. The CovertAction Institute is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The website does not disclose donors.
Analysis / Bias
CovertAction Magazine focuses on investigative journalism with a left-leaning bias. The website covers various topics, including politics, history, and social issues. The tone is often critical, especially towards U.S. foreign policy and capitalist systems.
For example, in the article “Biden’s First Year Foreign Policy Record May Be Worse Than Trump’s,” the magazine criticizes President Biden’s foreign policy, arguing that it has been “more hawkish” than Trump’s. The article uses biased language such as “escalated dangerous conflicts,” “murderous drone strikes,” and “illegal U.S. war.” It also fails to offer a balanced view of Biden’s foreign policy by not offering counter-arguments.
Additionally, the article mentions the magazine had previously endorsed Biden as a “lesser evil” to Trump, indicating a complex but not necessarily balanced editorial stance. The author cites various sources, some of which are rated questionable, such as the New York Times, Military Times, Kremlin.ru (Questionable), Bloomberg, and Global Times (China)(Questionable).
In the article ”Ruling Class Faction Mounts Coup Against Nixon and Trump: Should Progressives Support Such Efforts?” the magazine argues that Richard Nixon and Donald Trump were the victims of “orchestrated efforts” by factions within the ruling class to remove them from power. The article cites a variety of sources, including USAToday, Libertysentinel.org, gov.info, cbsnews.com, Salon,wikipedia.org, cnn.com, and BBC, including some that are considered to be unreliable, such as thegrayzoneproject.com. It also presents a contradictory message, as it suggests that progressives should support grassroots activism while also arguing that there is a powerful “deep state” that can thwart such efforts.
Editorially, CovertAction strongly supports anti-war and anti-imperialism measures as well as support for progressive social issues such as LGBTQ rights, climate change activism, and anti-racism. However, they have frequently reported misinformation and false claims related to Covid-19 and the Ukraine (See failed fact checks.)
Failed Fact Checks
- Ukraine War Reveals Possible U.S. Preparations for Biological Warfare – False
- The USA and NATO staged the Maidan Coup – No Evidence
- The Bucha killings were a staged false flag – False
- The Pentagon and CIA Behind the COVID-19 Pandemic. – False
- Thousands of deaths from the Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine – False
Overall, we rate CovertAction Magazine Left-Biased and Questionable based on the promotion of conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, propaganda, poor sourcing, lack of transparency, numerous false claims, and failed fact checks. (M. Huitsing 08/30/2023)
Source: https://covertactionmagazine.com/
Last Updated on August 30, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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