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.
Update: This source is no longer online.
- Overall, we rate The BL Right Biased and Questionable based on the promotion of conspiracy theories, right-wing propaganda, the use of poor sources, a lack of transparency, and false or misleading information.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Poor Sourcing, Conspiracy, Propaganda, Lack of Transparency, False Claims
Bias Rating: RIGHT
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Minimal Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Founded in 2016, The BL is a website that publishes news and opinions that often favor the right, promotes conspiracy theories, and is connected to the Questionable Epoch Times. According to their about page, “At The BL (The Beauty of Life), our mission is to present to the world the most beautiful aspects of life. We focus on content that represents fundamental moral standards and values, to enlighten all who prefer to be inspired.” The website is published in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Further, they lack transparency as they do not provide easy access to the editor or define who is in charge of the parent company.
On December 20, 2019, it was reported that Facebook took down more than 600 accounts connected to The Epoch Times. According to an NBC News report, “The network was called ‘The BL’ and was run by Vietnamese users posing as Americans, using fake photos generated by algorithms to simulate real identities. The Epoch Media group, which pushes a variety of pro-Trump conspiracy theories, spent $9.5 million on ads to spread content through the now-suspended pages and groups.”
Both the Epoch Times and The BL are associated with Falun Gong, a banned spiritual practice in China.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
The BL is owned by The Beauty of Life Inc, based in Middletown, New York, which is headed by “Trung Vu and John Nania. Trung Vu had been the CEO of the Vietnamese edition of The Epoch Times and later worked for the related NTD TV. John Nania served as editor in chief at The Epoch Times English edition from 2004 to 2015.” Revenue is primarily derived through advertising.
Analysis / Bias
In review, The BL typically republishes or reports on news articles by other sources. Articles and headlines frequently contain loaded emotional language with central themes being anti-communist China such as this CCP Virus tests not required for thousands of migrants at the border under Biden’s DHS and pro-former President Trump such as this Half a million patriots watch Trump celebration in Florida. The first story is sourced to the far-right and Questionable Breitbart, while the second is sourced to video from the Right Side Broadcasting Network.
Editorially, The BL strongly favors the right and frequently denigrates the Chinese government. They also frequently promote misinformation and pseudoscience such as this ‘The greatest hoax perpetrated on the public’: Renowned virologist rejects measures imposed during the pandemic, promoting anti-mask propaganda. They also promote debunked conspiracies related to 9/11 and election fraud during the 2020 election ‘Data dump’ of 143,300 votes for Joe Biden proves election fraud happened, says President Trump. They generally promote conspiracy theories and misinformation with a strong right-leaning bias.
Failed Fact Checks
- “Supreme Court could overturn ‘obstruction of justice’ charges against Trump” – False
- $3.5 billion for Bill Gates’s foundation hidden in the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion bill. – False
Overall, we rate The BL Right Biased and Questionable based on the promotion of conspiracy theories, right-wing propaganda, the use of poor sources, a lack of transparency, and false or misleading information. (D. Van Zandt 2/16/2021) Updated (2/24/2022)
Source: https://thebl.com/
Last Updated on May 6, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
Do you appreciate our work? Please consider one of the following ways to sustain us.
or
Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources