(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Facebook is censoring Pulitzer prize-winning reporter Seymour Hersh’s article about how the Biden administration committed an act of eco-terrorism by sabotaging Russia’s Nord Stream natural gas pipelines last September.
Hersh’s story has caused an uproar internationally in recent months, even though U.S. officials have denied and largely ignored the reporter’s findings. The New York Times initially purported to debunk Hersh’s story with an article about a “pro-Ukrainian group” sending divers from a 50-foot pleasure yacht to attack the pipelines, only to backtrack earlier this month and admit that its story is tenuous—while also calling for the truth of the matter to be ignored.
Despite Hersh’s reporting being validated thus far, Facebook has decided to censor it. This was discovered by reporter Michael Shellenberger on Wednesday.
“There is a big debate over who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. Instead of allowing the debate, Facebook has decided to take a side,” he said. “It is censoring Pulitzer-winning journalist Seymour Hersh. And instead of explaining, Facebook sends readers to an article in Norwegian.”
There is a big debate over who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. Instead of allowing the debate, Facebook has decided to take a side. It is censoring Pulitzer-winning journalist Seymour Hersh. And instead of explaining, Facebook sends readers to an article in Norwegian. Watch pic.twitter.com/nN18HovBPR
— Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) April 19, 2023
Shellenberger also pointed out that the fact-checking organization used by Facebook to flag the article is a partnership with a Norwegian government-owned media company, NRK, which has a direct self-interest in censoring the story.
“By contrast, Hersh makes his own money through Substack and won a Pulitzer for exposing U.S. government abuses in Vietnam,” Shellenberger wrote.
“Whether Hersh is wrong or right, his reporting should be debated publicly, not censored. Facebook’s actions are antithetical to America’s tradition of free and open debate and its rejection of secretive, authoritarian censorship.”
Facebook has apparently softened its stance since Wednesday. Instead of marking Hersh’s story as “false” when posted on Facebook, the social media company now labels it as “partly false.”
“Yesterday, [Briahna Joy Gray] revealed that when she tried posting the article, Facebook warned that she might be punished by Facebook for doing so. The company’s censorship is thus both authoritarian and erratic,” Shellenberger said of the sudden change.
“They got caught,” Twitter CEO Elon Musk added, referring to his rival, Facebook.
They got caught
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 21, 2023
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
