‘I am a victim of the bible’s hate!’
(Michael Barnes, Liberty Headlines) The Reuters international news organization recently fact-checked a satirical article that ridiculed four left-wing Democratic congresswomen known as “The Squad.”
The article was published by Bustatroll.org and Reuters admits that it was “clearly labelled as satire.”
Reuters also admits that Bustatroll.org describes itself on its About Us page as a “parody, satire and tomfoolery” site. The site’s logo includes the label “Satire Rated.”
But fact-checkers at the famed news agency took the article to task because “it appears to be taken seriously,” a write-up explains.
The satire article humorously claims that Squad members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) want to declare the Bible hate speech.
Like all satire, the rib is meant to poke fun at real-life absurdities and abuses. In this case, progressive censorship and anti-Christian left-wing bias are the subjects.
The article claims that Squad members issued statements to Bustatroll.org explaining their ridiculous social justice accusations against Biblical texts.
“It promotes slavery, sexual assault, and murder. It’s basically an incitement to violence. How can we call ourselves a civilized society when we allow this garbage to be used as a reference for morality?” Ocasio-Cortez is supposed to have said.
“The bible is racist,” claims Tlaib in the satire. “I am a victim of the bible’s hate!” said Omar.
The faux-story continues with Pressley saying, “What did the others say? I agree with them.”
Reuters seized upon several social media comments as evidence that the satire was spreading misinformation. Now, the news agency’s fact-check shows up on social media postings of the satirical Bustatroll article.
A Facebook post hyperlinked in the Reuters fact-check is now accompanied by the fact-checking piece itself, beginning with the bolded word “False.”
Another Facebook post cited in the fact-check links to a group called “Friends Who Like Rush Limbaugh.” The Bustatroll spoof was shared 158 times from the group’s Facebook page and had 150 laughing emojis as of Friday afternoon, indicating that readers overwhelmingly understood it was satire.
But Reuters targeted the article and its readers anyway, perhaps in a pre-November election warm-up aimed at censoring politically undesirable content.
“False. An article claiming ‘The Squad’ wants the Bible to be deemed as hate speech is intended as satire and is fiction,” the Reuters concluded.
Like other liberal fact-checks of satire news sites, the joke is often on them for believing that readers cannot distinguish satire from reality — a point Bustatroll makes abundantly clear.
In its About Us section, the Bustatroll website reads: “Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined.”
“Any similarities between this site’s pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental, and all images should be considered altered and satirical. See above if you’re still having an issue with that satire thing,” it continues.