For ads-free news, click here.
Multiple conservative podcasters have posted similar screenshots on social media Monday night and Tuesday morning, announcing they are the target of a New York Times ‘hit piece’ about the alleged ‘misinformation’ they are spreading on YouTube.
Based on the screenshots of text messages sent out, the New York Times appears to working with the far-left “Media Matters for America” to get multiple conservatives demonetized or booted from YouTube, including Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, Benny Johnson, Tim Pool, Mike Davis and others.
Fox News explained: Media Matters, founded in 2004 by longtime Clinton ally David Brock, is often cited by legacy news organizations as a media watchdog. It has built a reputation for organizing pressure campaigns against conservative voices it opposes, including boycott movements.
The conservatives being targeted in the hit piece are fighting back with fire and brimstone.
Ben Shapiro blasted out a series of posts on X Monday night, exposing what he had just received from Nico Grant, a New York Times reporter.
He announced, “If you were wondering what the legacy media would plan for its October surprise, wonder no longer: it’s here. Today, I received the following text from a reporter at @NYTimes:”
Grant wrote to Shapiro, “I wanted to give you an opportunity to comment for an upcoming article that takes a look at how political commentators have discussed the upcoming election on YouTube. We rely on analysis conducted by researchers at Media Matters for America.”
Grant requested a comment from Shapiro by the end of the day on Tuesday, and listed “points” they plan to include in their hit piece, including: “286 YouTube videos between May and August that contained election misinformation, including narratives that have been debunked or are not supported with credible evidence.”
In a sinister threat, Grant asked, “Are you a member of the YouTube Partner Program? If so, how frequently does YouTube demonetize your videos? Has YouTube sent you messages, emails or notices in teh last year that your content contains misinformation?”
1/ If you were wondering what the legacy media would plan for its October surprise, wonder no longer: it’s here. Today, I received the following text from a reporter at @NYTimes: pic.twitter.com/YjK7yiVhpn
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 29, 2024
Shapiro continued:
What, precisely, is NYT doing? It’s perfectly obvious: using research from Media Matters, a radical Left-wing organization whose sole purpose is destroying conservative media (see below), in order to pressure YouTube to demonetize and penalize any and all conservatives ONE WEEK FROM THE ELECTION.
That’s the entire game here. Run an article in America’s “most trusted newspaper” that declares pretty much every major conservative a purveyor of “misinformation” on YouTube, thus strong-arming YouTube into taking action against conservatives.
3/ That’s the entire game here. Run an article in America’s “most trusted newspaper” that declares pretty much every major conservative a purveyor of “misinformation” on YouTube, thus strong-arming YouTube into taking action against conservatives.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 29, 2024
This isn’t about “election misinformation.” Obviously. As pretty much everyone knows, I have always acknowledged that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. And if it is “election misinformation” to point out the “rigging” of the voting rules for election 2020, resulting in massive mail-in voting and ballot harvesting, then the NYT might want to talk to…the NYT and CBS News, for starters.
And, by the way, even if someone *does* think Joe Biden didn’t win the election, that is still protected speech under the First Amendment.
5/ And, by the way, even if someone *does* think Joe Biden didn’t win the election, that is still protected speech under the First Amendment
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 29, 2024
But that’s the point: you don’t have to purvey “misinformation” to be the target. You just have to support Trump.
This is totally scandalous. In 2020, the legacy media shut down dissemination of the Hunter Biden laptop story and laundered the claim that it was all Russian disinformation, all to get Joe Biden elected.
7/ This is totally scandalous. In 2020, the legacy media shut down dissemination of the Hunter Biden laptop story and laundered the claim that it was all Russian disinformation, all to get Joe Biden elected.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 29, 2024
In 2024, they’re even more brazen: they’re openly trying to intimidate YouTube, one of the most dominant news platforms in America, into shutting down anyone who isn’t pro-Kamala.
Again, understand the mission from these supposed guardians of free speech and American liberty: silence the opposition the WEEK BEFORE THE 2024 ELECTION.
9/ Again, understand the mission from these supposed guardians of free speech and American liberty: silence the opposition the WEEK BEFORE THE 2024 ELECTION.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 29, 2024
They can’t get away with it, and they won’t. If ever you doubted that The New York Times is part of the Democrat-Media Human Centipede (see below), doubt no longer.
So, The New York Times wants comment? Here’s my comment: kindly, go f*ck yourself.
11/ So, The New York Times wants comment? Here’s my comment: kindly, go f*ck yourself.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 29, 2024
Tucker Carlson was next. He also posted a screenshot of the same text messages he received from Nico Grant, along with his responses.
Carlson wrote to Grant, “So the New York Times is working with a left wing hate group to silence critics of the Democratic Party? Please ask yourself why you’re participating in it. This is why you got into journalism? It’s shameful. I hope you’re filled with guilt and self-loathing for sending me a text like this. Please quote me.”
Grant responded brazenly, “Thank you for your prompt response. Would you like to address any of the points or questions above?
Carlson fired back, “Would I like to participate in your attempt to censor me? No thanks. But I do hope you’ll quote what I wrote above and also note that I told you to fuck off, which I am now doing. Thanks.”
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) October 29, 2024
Mike Davis also posted a screenshot of his message from Grant. He replied to the New York Times reporter, “So are you the tea boy for @Google, @mmfa, or @KamalaHarris? All 3? Here’s the evidence that Biden is behind the unprecedented indictments of Trump:
https://x.com/mrddmia/status/1744568201638195411
(And go fuck yourself.)”
Dear @nicoagrant:
So are you the tea boy for @Google, @mmfa, or @KamalaHarris?
All 3?
Here’s the evidence that Biden is behind the unprecedented indictments of Trump:https://t.co/RYr8SWjDop
(And go fuck yourself.) pic.twitter.com/OTTWaPEiUH
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) October 29, 2024
Benny Johnson shared his screenshot Tuesday morning, along with a fiery statement in a series of posts on X. He wrote:
I was just informed the New York Times is writing a hit piece on me. What did I do?
– I said Democrats created an open border without “sufficient evidence”
– That lawfare against Trump is 2024 election interference
– That Kamala’s DNC nomination without a primary “was rigged”
Has the NYT lost their damn minds? Not only are these statements empirically true but national polling shows the vast majority of Americans *agree* with me. This is grotesque censorship of the highest order: censoring the TRUTH. But it gets worse…
Has the NYT lost their damn minds?
Not only are these statements empirically true but national polling shows the vast majority of Americans *agree* with me.
This is grotesque censorship of the highest order: censoring the TRUTH. But it gets worse…
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 29, 2024
The DNC activist masquerading as a NYT “reporter” is using research from the completely discredited far-left hate group Media Matters. Media Matters is in active liquidation after facing multiple federal lawsuits for: “knowingly and maliciously fabricating” their reporting.
See the game here? America’s “most trusted newspaper” is colluding with a Democrat-run vicious purveyor of criminal-level disinformation to defame and deplatform conservative voices just one week from the election. This is the Hunter Biden laptop of 2024 election interference.
See the game here?
America’s “most trusted newspaper” is colluding with a Democrat-run vicious purveyor of criminal-level disinformation to defame and deplatform conservative voices just one week from the election.
This is the Hunter Biden laptop of 2024 election interference
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 29, 2024
This NYT reporter has targeted Tucker, Ben Shapiro, Tim Pool, Mike Davis and other powerful free-speech voices in this slanderous hit piece fomented by a discredited leftist disinformation group.
But they forgot one important thing: We are the media now. So f*ck you.
America trusts in corporate media is at historic lows and this is exactly why. These intimation tactics don’t work when our audience is growing exponentially and theirs is being atomized. America trusts and need independent media. And a dying corporate media can’t stand that.
America trusts in corporate media is at historic lows and this is exactly why. These intimation tactics don’t work when our audience is growing exponentially and theirs is being atomized.
America trusts and need independent media.
And a dying corporate media can’t stand that.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 29, 2024
It’s beyond time we fight back. I’ve instructed my attorney to send a letter to the NYT preparing them for a defamation lawsuit if they slander my business and constitutionally protected right to free speech and opinion. This may be the most expensive story NYT ever publishes.
In conclusion, the NYT should understand what time it is. We are not the Romney, Bush, Cheney, McConnell Republicans who cower in the corner wetting ourselves over the threat of a NYT piece. We fight back. Thank you for supporting our work. We will win.
In conclusion, the NYT should understand what time it is.
We are not the Romney, Bush, Cheney, McConnell Republicans who cower in the corner wetting ourselves over the threat of a NYT piece.
We fight back. Thank you for supporting our work. We will win.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 29, 2024
Tim Pool announced, “NYT sent similar to me as well. These are threats.”
NYT sent similar to me as well
These are threats https://t.co/QSmAHQg4ky
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) October 29, 2024
Prominent X user ZeroHedge has also been hit in a similar fashion, by Newsguard, another far-left, self-appointed “media watchdog” known for giving poor ratings to conservative outlets to get them silenced.
“It’s not just NYT/Media Matters: Newsguard has also been mobilized. The entire censorship-industrial complex is in full blown meltdown,” ZeroHedge announced.
It’s not just NYT/Media Matters: Newsguard has also been mobilized.
The entire censorship-industrial complex is in full blown meltdown https://t.co/khxyaiR9Vy pic.twitter.com/kaXROnBh7z
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) October 29, 2024
According to Alex Lorusso, “The New York Times is launching a hit piece against 30 prominent Conservatives including Tucker, Benny, Tim Pool, Ben Shapiro and others in an attempt to deplatform them from YouTube ahead of the election based on so called research by the fraudulent organization Media Matters.”
The New York Times is launching a hit piece against 30 prominent Conservatives including Tucker, Benny, Tim Pool, Ben Shapiro and others in an attempt to deplatform them from YouTube ahead of the election based on so called research by the fraudulent organization Media Matters https://t.co/NX7BX2lPRJ
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) October 29, 2024
The New York Times is targeting @benshapiro & @TuckerCarlson for demonetization (& ultimately deplatforming) from YouTube at the request of the left wing organization Media Matters.
Let that sink in.
This is why @elonmusk purchasing Twitter was so important for free speech. pic.twitter.com/6t4bnh8HSX
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 29, 2024
Media Matters is a radical left propaganda machine
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 29, 2024
NY Times, far-left Media Matters ‘strong-arming YouTube’ to silence conservatives, Ben Shapiro says https://t.co/l9fualzflM
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 29, 2024
IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL DML NEWS APP READERS ABOUT COMMENTS ON ARTICLES:
PLEASE ALLOW A FEW MINUTES FOR YOUR COMMENTS TO APPEAR, as the feature on our website that automatically approves comments is currently down. We are hoping it will be fixed soon, but it is out of our control. We are making every effort to come in every few minutes and manually push all pending comments out. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience and understanding until this matter is resolved. Please DO continue posting your comments. Your interaction and feedback is still very important to us. As usual, comments calling for violence or death toward any individual are not permitted.
The Dennis Michael Lynch Podcast archive is available below, with the most recent on top. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the show by downloading The DML News App or go to Apple Podcasts.