Washington Stand – Bias and Credibility

The Washington Stand is an online news and commentary outlet that presents content from a biblical worldview. It is published by the Family Research Council (FRC), which is based in Washington, D.C. The FRC’s mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and culture.

The Family Research Council (FRC) is an American conservative Christian group and lobbying organization formed in 1981 by James Dobson. Tony Perkins is its current president. The FRC promotes traditional family values by advocating and lobbying for socially conservative policies. It opposes and lobbies against LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, divorce, embryonic stem-cell research, and pornography. In 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) classified the FRC as an anti-gay hate group.

Read our profile on the United States government and media.

Funded by / Ownership

The Washington Stand is owned by The Family Research Council and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded through donations. However, it lacks transparency as it does not clearly state where its funding comes from.

Analysis / Bias

The Washington Stand provides news and commentary that aligns with a conservative Christian perspective. It features articles and opinion pieces often reflecting right-wing ideologies and biblical interpretations of current events. The content includes criticism of liberal policies and support for conservative political figures and issues.

Articles and headlines often use emotionally charged language that favors a conservative perspective, such as this one: Target Retreats from LGBT Merch after Year-Long Profit Bloodbath. Like most reviewed stories, this one features a mix of credible sources like the BBC and Fortune Magazine and poor sources such as the Post Millennial and Inside the Magic.

The website features specific categories such as Abortion, Border Crisis, Israel, and Parental Rights. Under the abortion category, they support abortion being illegal, and there is evidence of the promotion of false and misleading claims to support its advocacy. For example, this article promotes that having an abortion increases the risk of breast cancer: “Abortion also puts the teenager at lifelong risk of physical harm, including possible infertility and elevated risk of breast cancer.” According to the American Cancer Society, the consensus of studies indicates that “induced abortion is not linked to an increase in breast cancer risk.”

Editorially, all stories favor the right and are frequently negative toward Democrats, such as this: Biden Calls on Voters to ‘Save Our Democracy’ This November, but He Is the One Putting Our Country at Risk. There is also evidence of the promotion of conspiracy theories such as rampant election fraud and the unjust targeting of former President Trump: ‘A Travesty of Justice’: Donald Trump Booked as Inmate No. P01135809 in Atlanta. They also promote the baseless claim that Critical Race Theory is being taught to young children in public schools: Arizona Establishes Hotline for Parents to Report CRT, Gender Theory in Schools. Critical Race Theory is not a part of any curriculum in any Elementary or Middle School.

Further, the parent organization Family Research Council’s statements and positions have been criticized as being based upon pseudoscience or junk science; according to Wired, the group has misrepresented data and misdesigned sociological studies to depict LGBTQ+ people negatively.

Finally, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, FRC is a hate group that “bills itself as “the leading voice for the family in our nation’s halls of power,” but its real specialty is defaming LGBTQ people.” Further, the Human Rights Campaign has criticized FRC as well. The Family Research Council responded to the SPLC with ANSWERING THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER’S ATTACKS UPON FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL.

In general, the Washington Stand promotes pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and right-wing Christian propaganda that often is not factual.

Failed Fact Checks (Family Research Council)

• There is no evidence of the Washington Stand being fact-checked by a Third Party, but its owner has failed numerous fact-checks.
• Surgery for Seniors vs. Abortions? – False
• “We know from the social science that children do best with a mom and a dad.” – False
• Says scientists are “in dispute” over whether being gay is a choice. – False
• The Senate version of the health care reform bill “allows taxpayer money to pay directly for abortion in federal community health centers funded in the bill.” – Mostly False
• Says Houston National Cemetery is preventing Christian prayers from being said at military funerals. –  False
• “Upwards of 90 percent” of women seeking an abortion decide not to have an abortion after seeing an ultrasound. – False
• A study from Johns Hopkins on natural immunity to COVID-19 demonstrates that infection provides better protection than vaccination, challenging official vaccine recommendations for previously infected people. – No Proof

Overall, we rate the Washington Stand as Questionable based on its promotion of far-right conspiracies and propaganda, lack of transparency regarding funding, poor sourcing, numerous failed fact checks by the parent organization, and third-party designation as a hate group. (D. Van Zandt 05/14/2024) Updated (11/30/2024)

Source: https://washingtonstand.com/