How Newspapers Fare In Rightwing Answer to Wikipedia

By: E&P Staff In recent days, print and online pundits have been poking fun at the new Conservapedia, launched as the "right" thinking alternative to the supposedly left-leaning Wikipedia. It explains itself this way: "Tired of the LIBERAL BIAS every time you search on Google and a Wikipedia page appears? Our study suggests that Wikipedia is 6 times more liberal than the American public. Now it's time for the Conservatives to get our voice out on the internet!

"Conservapedia began in November 2006, as the class project for a World History class of 58 advanced homeschooled and college-bound students meeting in New Jersey."

Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam suggested this entry for his paper: "A newspaper/Communist front organization, long known as 'Pravda on the Charles.' [See: New York Times; 'Izvestiya on the Hudson.'] Mouthpiece for Senators Ted Kennedy, Jean Kerry, and Godless Harvard. Pro-abortion; pro-gay marriage; pro-gun control. Featured writers: Jeff Jacoby, others."

To offer a small taste of the new venture's spirit and credibility, here is its actual entry for "newpapers," which it spells "news papers":

"News papers are a common sight in the United States of America. They are published daily or weekly, and contain news about what's going on in America and sometimes overseas. The newspaper industry is currently on the decline, because of the influence of television news programs like Fox News and CNN.

"Despite being an older media, newspapers in the United States tend to slant liberal: The New York Times or The Washington Post, for example.

"Newspapers do have one advantage over news channels that have helped them stay afloat: there is no way to send comics over the airwaves. Therefore, newspapers make money by publishing comic strips like 'For Better Or For Worse', 'Mallard Fillmore', and the popular 'Mutts'."

Here is the entire summary at the top of its entry on MSNBC's Keith Olbermann:

"Keith Olbermann is a liberal Democrat political commentator and activist, formerly a sportscaster on ESPN. He currently hosts Countdown, a nightly news and commentary program on MSNBC.

"In July of 2006, the Anti-Defamation League filed a complaint to MSNBC because of Olbermann's repeated use of the Nazi salute while attacking popular commentator Bill O'Reilly on his television show and in public."