• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 11, 2024

Characterizing it a "sad milestone," news and information watchdog NewsGuard this morning released a new analysis revealing that the number of so-called "pink slime" disinformation sites published by Russia has surpassed the number of authentic independent local daily newspaper sites published in the U.S.

"The odds are now better than 50-50 that if you see a news website purporting to cover local news, it’s fake," writes Chiara Vercellone, citing the impact of a recent NewsGuard report about a new network of 167 Russian disinformation site that contributed to the milestone.

"With traditional newspapers disappearing at a rate of two and a half per week, pink slime sites are rushing in to fill the void," Vercellone concludes, adding, "Consequently, millions of Americans are left without legitimate local coverage."