WaPo Calls Scientist ‘Fake News’ Before He Predicts Deadly Guatemala Volcano
Peter D'Abrosca
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A weatherman who predicted the volcanic eruption in Guatemala that has killed 25 and injured hundreds was maligned as “fake news” by Jeff Bezos’ blog, The Washington Post, just before the tragedy.
“We issued a direct warning for Guatemala and Fuego for the past 2 days…. when the M4.0 struck along the flanks of Fuego after weeks of silence,” said a scientist who goes by Dutchsinse. “Here is the warning we issued yesterday, (the day before the blast).”
But Jeff Bezos’ blog discredited the Dutchsinse just last week:
“Some of you may know I was added to the “fake news” list released by the Washington Post newspaper, and which was promoted around the world as fact,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Assistant Professor of Communication Melissa Zimdars of Merrimack College posted a list of fake news sites that went viral in 2016. The list included Dutchsinse’s site, dutchsinse.com:
Zimdar’s list is taught in public schools as the definitive arbiter of what news sources as true.
Big League Politics reached out to Merrimack College for comment but received no response.
Dutchsinse’s harassment did not end there.
The Associated Press filed a false copyright infringement claim against his YouTube channel for using a public access document provided to the public by the Department of Defense in one of his videos:
“This is highly unacceptable for a large organization to attempt to take the video or profits from a small video maker such as myself,” the post says.
In another post, Dutchsince called the attack “coordinated” and said that he must have “stepped on some toes:”
YouTube flagged his content as controversial, putting it in the same category as profane videos.
Why the mainstream press would launch an all-out assault on a member of the scientific community is anybody’s guess.
But fake news has consequences. And this time the consequence was death and grave injury for those who may have been warned had the corporate press not used its power to de-platform Dutchsinse.
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