House GOP is investigating how federally funded news ratings group affects free speech.
The House Oversight Committee has announced an investigation into a news-rating system that assesses the trustworthiness of news outlets, focusing on whether the organization’s contracts with federal agencies influence its decisions on suppressing news. Oversight Chair James Comer expressed concerns about NewsGuard’s impact on protected speech and its potential role in censorship campaigns.
In a letter to NewsGuard’s CEOs, Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, Comer requested documents regarding the group’s business relationships with government entities, adherence to bias policies, conflict of interest management, and actions that may delegitimize factual information. The Department of Defense contract awarded to NewsGuard in 2021 has raised questions about federal involvement in potential censorship campaigns.
Comer emphasized the need for an independent assessment of whether NewsGuard’s interventions on speech are sponsored by any level of government. He also highlighted discrepancies between NewsGuard’s editorial employee pledge to avoid political activities and the social media behavior of some listed editorial employees.
NewsGuard has reportedly received government funding, mostly from the Department of Defense, and won a prize in a State Department co-sponsored tech challenge addressing COVID-19 misinformation. The service is utilized by advertisers to target specific audiences and avoid networks spreading misinformation.
The committee supports businesses using data-based analysis to protect their brand but is concerned about potential government interference in free expression. Comer criticized NewsGuard for bias and questioned the criteria used to rate news outlets, noting the stark differences in grades given to networks like MSNBC and CNN compared to OAN, Newsmax, and Fox.
NewsGuard, a web extension, provides reliability ratings for news websites based on journalistic criteria assessed by journalists and editors. Comer has requested various documents from NewsGuard, including contracts with government entities and disciplinary actions related to employee pledge violations.
The investigation aims to ensure transparency, protect free expression, and evaluate the impartiality of NewsGuard’s operations. As the committee delves into the potential impacts of NewsGuard’s activities, the public awaits further developments in this ongoing probe.
