Snopes is in trouble. The hoax-debunking site, founded in 1994, has in the past year gained prominence as one of the lines of defense against viral misinformation (profiles here and here), joining the likes of PolitiFact and AP as Facebook’s fact-checking partners in the social platform’s first attempt at addressing the spread of fake news in its ecosystem.
It’s also currently being “held hostage,” it alleges, by a vendor it contracted with in 2015 and ended ties with this past spring — but underlying that legal battle seems to be an argument between Snopes cofounder David Mikkelson and his ex-wife, Barbara Mikkelson, over control of the company. Snopes parent company Bardav, Inc. and the vendor, Proper Media, filed complaints against each other over issues stemming from that contract termination. Snopes alleges that Proper Media continues to control the advertising on Snopes.com, and is withholding revenue from those ads from the Snopes team. Proper Media, meanwhile, alleges that David Mikkelson “has engaged in a lengthy scheme of concealment and subterfuge to gain control of the company and to drain its profits.” (Daniel Funke has a lot more useful background on the battle over at Poynter.)
Snopes is now embarking on a #SaveSnopes campaign, and looking for reader donations. On Gofundme, Snopes has a campaign set up and is looking to raise at least $500,000.
Hi there — yes, it's real. (I'm @snopes' managing editor.) Happy to answer questions.
— Brooke Binkowski (@brooklynmarie) July 24, 2017
We also need a lot more answers. Will donating to them solve their problem and get their site back? It doesn't sound like it??? /2
— Thomas Baekdal (@baekdal) July 24, 2017
From its note to readers, published on Monday:
We had previously contracted with an outside vendor to provide certain services for Snopes.com. That contractual relationship ended earlier this year, but the vendor will not acknowledge the change in contractual status and continues to essentially hold the Snopes.com web site hostage. Although we maintain editorial control (for now), the vendor will not relinquish the site’s hosting to our control, so we cannot modify the site, develop it, or — most crucially — place advertising on it. The vendor continues to insert their own ads and has been withholding the advertising revenue from us.
Our legal team is fighting hard for us, but, having been cut off from all revenue, we are facing the prospect of having no financial means to continue operating the site and paying our staff (not to mention covering our legal fees) in the meanwhile.
“Proper Media suggests that the media conduct its own fact-check of the fundraising plea posted today on Snopes.com,” Karl Kronenberger, counsel for Proper Media, wrote in an email response. “In summary, today’s post only confirms Proper Media’s allegations that Mr. Mikkelson has drained the company’s bank accounts and is unable to operate Snopes profitably without Proper Media’s expertise and management.”
We’ve reached out to the Snopes team for comment and will update the post when we hear back.
11 comments:
Wondering who Proper Media’s other customers are, and if they are aware of this company’s conduct?
Snopes presents facts to oppose the truth.
http://www.thepathoftruth.com/falsehood-exposed/snopes.htm
Uhh . . . I don’t think so.
Your site is not one that inspires trust whatsoever.
Unfortunate situation but if amicably resolved, pls consider hosting your own site to avoid future hostage situations. Number 1 rule, never, ever give control of your business to anyone — receive help if necessary but you’ve given these creeps the keys to your business — so not cool.
“… and is unable to operate Snopes profitably without Proper Media’s expertise and management.”
Since when does a VENDOR get to assume management control from a company’s owner, regardless of how well or poorly the company is run?
How so Relgin? What kind of trust? In oneself? That’s true, because no man can be trusted. Should we trust your opinion?
The Truth can be trusted and He’s what that paper and site is all about.
What did you find that isn’t true? Cite an example.
Since I don’t buy into Christianity, I don’t find your site to be any better a source of “truth,” with or without a capital T, than Snopes.
Mikkelson and Green now control 60% of a Nevada S corporation in Dave’s Name. The other four at PROPER want SNOPES to pump it and sell it to make a profit.
The five from Proper (including Green) all borrowed from Diamond Capital to buy out Barabara Mikkelson after the divorce, with that intent of turning SNOPES into a money making machine, NOT a debunking site, and then sell it for a profit and pay off their loans to Diamond Capital, i.e. Ben Frank, (and his two partners, Diamond-holding $70 Million in in loans to various companies and individuals.)
I suspect Dave took the money out of the account to prevent Proper from having the courts freeze SNOPES assets, and thereby be unable to fight off Proper. Just a thought…
I think this addresses your concerns.
Your assertion that “no man can be trusted” is idiocy and no, your site is not trusted:
https://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/thepathoftruth.com
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