UPI's "NewsTrack" is re-editing News stories for anti-Democrat news/agenda

[Up2Late]

This is mainly a Cross-post of what I posted in the Media Forum yesterday. I don't want to repeat everything I wrote there, so I'm only reposting half of the original, I DO hope you will read the rest of my post there too, if you are interested in this subject. My Media post is at this link: <http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=109&topic_id=24072&mesg_id=24072>


I'm also working on marking and annotating another VERY distorted "democrats hate Christians" "NewsTrack" article re-edit, of a Houston Chronicle article I found today.

As I posted in Media:

Here's the problem. As I'm sure most of you have noticed, their seems to be a bunch of anti-Democrat, anti-science, and just plain angry RW websites out on the web now. I've been trying, for a while to figure out where all their "news" was coming from, and I think I found it. UPI's "NewsTrack" <http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack />

"NewsTrack" is all secondhand news that they take from a respectable newspaper, pull out a few quotes and a few facts which they attribute to a respectable newspaper or news agency, and re-write the story to fit a RW agenda.

These reports are NEVER carry a "By line" or give enough information to actually understand the problem or issue, and I've even found a few that are cases of un-deniable plagiarism.

In most cases, these extremely re-edited stories are re-branded as UPI and almost immediately picked up by dozens of shady web "news" sites like "NewsMax," "ScienceDaily," "BigNewsNetwork" etc., were these "news" stories spread like a virus to anti-Democrat websites.

Now, when I say plagiarism, I'm not talking about the debatable type, where you "borrow" an idea or a phrase or two, I'm talking cut and paste, edit out the information and quotes you don't like, plagiarism.

See this post for an example I found this weekend: <http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1966363&mesg_id=1967657>

The "NewsTrack" version is still at this link: <http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20051203-094414-4342r>

That, I hope, is a rare and extreme example. To see how they distorted the story about Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush who, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, just "resolved" two mortgage problems he was reported to have:

<http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-rush07.html>

Rep. Rush no longer facing foreclosure

December 7, 2005

BY STEVE PATTERSON Staff Reporter

Just as quickly as they were filed, a pair of mortgage foreclosures against Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) have been "resolved."

Rush was just days from losing his Michigan condo and was also facing being kicked out of his Chicago home because he hadn't been paying his monthly mortgage.

But in an e-mail, a spokeswoman for Washington Mutual said "we consider the situation with Congressman Rush's mortgage to be resolved."

Likewise, a Michigan lawyer -- set to sell Rush's condo on the steps of a courthouse Thursday -- indicated the foreclosure action there "has been closed."

<http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-rush07.html >
(continues at link above)

Here's the UPI "NewsTrack" version:

<http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20051207-021817-4555r>

Illinois congressman puts houses in order

CHICAGO, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush reportedly has put his financial affairs in order after facing foreclosure on two home mortgages.

The Democrat, a one-time Black Panther turned preacher, was just days from losing a condominium he and his wife own in a private gated community in Buchanan, Mich. The condo was to have been auctioned this week.

The Chicago Sun-Times said Rush also was behind on the mortgage on his South Side Chicago residence but that both foreclosure actions apparently had been resolved.

Rush borrowed nearly $550,000 in two mortgages in 2001 and used much of the money to start and support a church he pastors, "Beloved Community Christian Church," the newspaper said.

Rush said through a spokesman he made personal sacrifices to launch the church, WGN-TV, Chicago, reported.

The Sun-Times said Rush's Chicago home had been subject to a series of county and federal tax liens.

Post continues at this link: <http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=109&topic_id=24072&mesg_id=24072>

[aquart]

1. Who owns UPI? Moonies?

[Up2Late]

2. Yup, and what they can't own...,

...they will create a lack of trust towards.

[Kagemusha]

3. This is a technique I recognize from the Washington Times.

...I haven't read the Wash. Times for years but, I remember the technique like it was yesterday. Not surprised to see it at UPI right now for rather obvious reasons.

[Up2Late]

4. Yes, the Washington Times and ScienceDaily are usually the first...

...to have these re-edited articles. I think they might even be automatically placed in both.

I first noticed it after I added the UPI RSS feed to my RSSReader.

This may or may not be a crime, but I think they might have just stepped over the line today, changing the words of a Federal Judge, as quoted in the Houston Chronicle. I just posted that one to my post in the Media Forum.

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=109&topic_id=24072&mesg_id=24087>

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x24072>

[kevinbgoode]

5. Ahh...but isn't UPI owned by the Moonie cult?

You know, one of the favored national religious groups which the President bestows taxpayer monies on for charitable works.

[Up2Late]

6. yup, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that they are...

...one of the major factors behind why everyone things the News sucks so bad now. This is one of the major "dots" to connect.

[Up2Late]

7. kick n/t

:kick:

[Up2Late]

8. kick n/t

:kick:

[Up2Late]

9. CORRECTION: a link on one of my previous posts is wrong

In the Original post, I linked back to an article that UPINewsTrack had, in my opinion, plagiarized by doing a "Cut and Paste" editing of the original Sunday Times article about Tamaflu. The post is at this link:

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1966363&mesg_id=1967657>

The link, at the bottom of "The Sunday Times" article that I show how much qualifying info was left out, goes to the wrong article.

This is the correct link: <http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1903144,00.html>

and the link to the UPINewsTrack article, which completely distorts the meaning of the original article is at this link: <http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20051203-094414-4342r>

I hope this clears up any confusion.