Since January, dozens of identical local news sites have popped up across Texas. In a state where an increasing number of communities don’t have access to local news, this may seem like a blessing. But a study by the Tow Center of Digital Journalism in the Columbia Journalism Review reveals that many of these sites also publish hyperpartisan stories lacking in the transparency that otherwise characterizes reported news.
Metric Media, a Delaware-based nonprofit media organization, has created a total of 56 news sites in Texas over the past year, and 1,200 sites across the United States. The websites are interchangeable in appearance and name, and often share reporters.
On its website, Metric Media claims to be nonpartisan. Its goal, the company says, is to “restore local news in communities across America” as a response to the loss of local news outlets. But content on the sites amplifies Republican politicians and conservative talking points with headlines like “GOP Official Says Dallas Needs to Hire More Police” and “Hoover: Abbott Is Overly Cautious, Should Reopen State.” Stories also seek to discredit other regional media outlets. A recent story in the Dallas City Wire targets the Dallas Morning News and D Magazine for the publication of stories critical of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s efforts to stall proposed cuts in police funding. The company has also bought at least two existing print papers, the Kern Valley Sun in California and the Mount Vernon News in Ohio.
