QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing of 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 the Idaho Freedom Foundation as Right-biased due to its strong conservative orientation and Questionable in terms of reliability due to its promotion of propaganda, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, unverified claims, and a failed fact check.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, Propaganda, Poor Sourcing, Failed Fact Check
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: LOW
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rank: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Organization/Foundation
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 2009 by Wayne Hoffman, The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) is a Boise-based conservative and libertarian think tank and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its mission is to combat Marxism and socialism, promoting liberty and prosperity in Idaho. Known for its Freedom Index, the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) evaluates legislative bills and ranks legislators, scoring 18 out of 135 above 90.
IFF also created Idaho Freedom Action, a 501(c)(4) focused on political lobbying and campaign activities, using the Freedom Index for candidate endorsements. Contributions to this entity are not tax-deductible. Additionally, IFF organizes events, workshops, and internships to train young conservatives in legislative processes, policy analysis, and professional development.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
The IFF’s About page provides access to its income tax returns for 2019, 2020, and 2021; it does not explicitly disclose its funding sources on the website. ProPublica reports that the IFF’s main source of revenue is contributions, with $885,870 out of a total revenue of $895,196 coming from contributions in one of the years analyzed, which accounts for 99.0% of its total revenue for that year. However, specific donor identities are not disclosed in this data either. According to SourceWatch, the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) receives funding from various sources, including the Adolph Coors Foundation, Charles Koch Institute, Donors Capital Fund, and DonorsTrust, with contributions ranging from $500 to $694,600 over various years. For more details, refer to the SourceWatch database.
Analysis / Bias
The Idaho Freedom Foundation primarily promotes limited government and free markets, reflecting a strong conservative libertarian bias in its mission. However, it’s worth noting that among the articles we’ve analyzed, the organization has expressed critical views on topics such as vaccines and LGBTQ+ issues.
The first article we analyzed was “Heartbreaking: Idaho Man Paralyzed After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine.” This article uses emotionally loaded language and framing to emphasize an individual’s negative experience with the COVID-19 vaccine. It uses negative language to criticize government officials for promoting vaccination, implying they lack knowledge and portraying their efforts as dangerous. This language is biased and seeks to influence readers’ opinions negatively about vaccination campaigns and their supporters. A quote from the article reads, “Gov. Little and other members who hold a higher power in the state of Idaho have continued to encourage Idahoans to become vaccinated. Their dangerous, uneducated push for people to become vaccinated has led one man to lose almost everything he has worked for.” It cites sources like the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and personal accounts to highlight potential risks associated with vaccination. However, the article does not provide verifiable evidence to support causation between the vaccine and the individual’s health issues.
Another article we analyzed was “Our Plan to Combat The Trans Agenda: Following Judge Winmill’s Idiotic Ruling.” In this article, Wayne Hoffman strongly opposes transgender rights and healthcare, criticizing U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill’s decision as “idiotic.” He accuses the judge of being “leftist” and makes controversial comparisons between transgender rights and other issues. Hoffman calls for actions such as ending taxpayer funding for medical schools teaching gender surgeries and opposing Medicaid funding for transgender-related medical conditions. Overall, the article strongly opposes transgender rights and frames it as a mission to protect against the “Left’s diabolical agenda.”
Additionally, the Idaho Freedom Foundation has been the subject of multiple complaints alleging violations of nonprofit rules. Notably, in a December 12, 2023 article by the Idaho Capital Sun, it was reported that the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) hired Dave Reilly, described as an alt-right propagandist, to assist in crafting its messaging. Brent Regan is one of the directors of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and writes for the Questionable Idaho Tribune.
Failed Fact Checks
Overall, we rate Idaho Freedom Foundation as Right-biased due to its strong conservative orientation and Questionable in terms of reliability due to its promotion of propaganda, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, unverified claims, and a failed fact check. (M. Huitsing 12/30/2023)
Source: idahofreedom.org/
Last Updated on December 30, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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