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 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 DCWeekly.org as questionable based on its extreme right-wing bias in story selection, lack of sourcing, promotion of Russian propaganda and conspiracy theories, several failed fact checks, and complete lack of transparency as an imposter site.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Propaganda, Poor Sourcing, Failed Fact Checks, Lack of Transparency, Imposter, Conspiracy Theories
Bias Rating: EXTREME RIGHT
Factual Reporting: LOW
Country: Russia
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: TOTAL OPPRESSION
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
DCWeekly.org, registered in 2017 and active since April 2021, presents itself as a local D.C. news outlet. However, it has ties to Russia, with evidence suggesting it operates as part of a pro-Russian influence operation. Founded by John Mark Dougan, a former U.S. Marine and Florida police officer who fled to Russia in 2016, the site is hosted on a server in Moscow. Dougan’s involvement in Russian disinformation operations, including producing propaganda narratives, has been reported.
Further, DCWeekly.org may be a part of an imposter (pink slime) network consisting of up to 167 sites.
Update: Within 24 hours of publication of this review the site is now offline.
Read our profile on Russia’s government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
DCWeekly.org’s ownership has not been disclosed. Research indicates it is associated with John Mark Dougan, who has been linked to Russian disinformation efforts. The site’s funding source is unclear, as it does not run advertisements.
Analysis / Bias
DCWeekly.org is likely a Russian disinformation imposter website that repeatedly publishes false or misleading content, particularly regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. It utilizes AI to rewrite articles without crediting original sources, promoting a pro-Russia, anti-Democratic Party agenda. While it presents itself as neutral, its content consistently aligns with pro-Russian interests and portrays Democrats negatively: Trump promises to take out Biden’s ‘crime family. This story does not contain hyperlinked sourcing and is written by an author with a fake name and no bio.
DCWeekly.org has published numerous false or misleading claims, including fabricated stories about Ukrainian President Zelensky, such as falsely alleging he received U.S. citizenship and a mansion in Florida. They also promote false and debunked conspiracy theories like this Olena Zelenska’s Extravagant NYC Shopping Spree Raises Questions of Corruption and Misuse of American Aid. This story is entirely false.
Like other disinformation sites, DCWeekly publishes real news as well, such as this Democrats Launch Impeachment Trial Against DHS Sec. Mayorkas, Republicans Criticized for Political Stunt. This story, like all others, is also unsourced. In general, DCWeekly.org is a far-right pro-Russian propaganda site that is mostly likely funded by the Russian government. The website completely lacks credibility on all levels.
Failed Fact Checks
- Unprecedented US Operation to Shelter Zelensky Raises Eyebrows. – False
- Zelenskyy, through his associates, recently bought two luxury yachts called Lucky Me and MY LEGACY. MY LEGAC. – False
- BREAKING – ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF TUCKER CARLSON. – False
Overall, we rate DCWeekly.org as questionable based on extreme right-wing bias through story selection, lack of sourcing, promotion of Russian propaganda and conspiracy theories, several failed fact checks, and a complete lack of transparency as an imposter site. (D. Van Zandt 05/11/2024)
Source: https://dcweekly.org/
Last Updated on June 12, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
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