Big League Politics

Big League Politics is a far-right[1] American media website that promotes conspiracy theories.[6] The website was founded by former Breitbart News employees.[7][8] The site was announced in 2017 by one of its founders as an investigative outfit.[9] In early 2018, Big League Politics was acquired by Mustard Seed Media[10] which is owned by Reilly O'Neal and Noel Fritsch.[11] The Wall Street Journal describes the website as "a scrappy, pro-Trump outfit backed by Republican operatives".[12]

Big League Politics
Logo of Big League Politics
Type of site
Far-right politics[1]
Available inEnglish
OwnerMustard Seed Media
URLbigleaguepolitics.com
Current statusActive

Content

The website has promoted conspiracy theories, on subjects such as QAnon and the murder of Seth Rich.[13][14][15] The New York Times described Big League Politics as "an obscure right-wing news site [...] which has promoted conspiracy theories and written favorably about white nationalist candidates."[16] Huffington Post said it is intended for "people who find Breitbart too reasonable." According to Mother Jones, the website "has published stories attacking anti-fascist activists and trying to downplay the role of neo-Nazi violence in the death of Heather Heyer at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017. It went so far as to falsely blame an anti-racism activist and professor from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for her death."[17] It pushed falsehoods about the 2020 United States presidential election.[18]

Big League Politics is best known for breaking a story in February 2019 about a damaging photo on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's 1984 yearbook page, leading to widespread calls for the governor's resignation during the 2019 Virginia political crisis.[19][20] The website also published sexual assault allegations against Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax.[21][22]

References
  1. [2][3][4][5]
  2. Moser, Bob (Fall 2019). "Interference 2020". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  3. Zadrozny, Brandy; Collins, Ben (August 27, 2018). "Secret message board drives 'pizzagate'-style harassment campaign of small businesses". NBC News. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  4. Gabriel, Trip; Grynbaum, Michael M. (February 4, 2019). "With Northam Picture, Obscure Publication Plays Big Role in Virginia Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  5. Ortiz, Jorge L. (February 7, 2019). "Blackface, assault allegations: How Virginia's political crisis unfolded". USA Today. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  6. Gabriel, Trip; Grynbaum, Michael M. (February 4, 2019). "With Northam Picture, Obscure Publication Plays Big Role in Virginia Politics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  7. Peters, Jeremy W. (November 3, 2017). "Alternative Narrative Emerges in Conservative Media as Russia Inquiry Widens". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  8. "Secret message board drives 'pizzagate'-style harassment campaign of small businesses". NBC News. August 27, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  9. ROSIE GRAY (January 13, 2017). "Breitbart Alumni Launch 'Populist-Nationalist' Group". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 10, 2019. Howley plans an investigative outfit called Big League Politics as the media arm of his project, though Stockton said the launch for that site was some time away.
  10. Markay, Lachlan (February 28, 2018). "Roy Moore Consultants' New Project: A Conspiracy-Theorizing Pro-Trump News Site". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  11. Palmer, Anna; Sherman, Jake; Lippman, Daniel (February 4, 2019). "POLITICO Playbook: Pats win, Trump's schedules are out and tomorrow is the SOTU". POLITICO. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  12. Hagey, Keach (February 4, 2019). "Site Behind Northam Revelations Is Backed by GOP Operatives". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  13. "Secret message board drives 'pizzagate'-style harassment campaign of small businesses". NBC News. August 27, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  14. Gabriel, Trip; Grynbaum, Michael M. (February 4, 2019). "With Northam Picture, Obscure Publication Plays Big Role in Virginia Politics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  15. Green, Jordan (October 21, 2018). "This New Right-Wing Site Falsely Blamed A UNC Professor For Heather Heyer's Death". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  16. Gabriel, Trip; Grynbaum, Michael M. (February 4, 2019). "With Northam Picture, Obscure Publication Plays Big Role in Virginia Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  17. Mencimer, Stephanie. "That Northam yearbook photo? It was unearthed by an outlet associated with white nationalists". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  18. Hendrickson, Clara. "Video falsely claims Detroit poll workers were trained to steal election. Here are the facts". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  19. Paul Fahri / Washington Post (February 3, 2019) A tip from a 'concerned citizen' helps a reporter land the scoop of a lifetime Sfgate.com
  20. "'Big League Politics' Editor On Publishing Controversial Yearbook Page". NPR. February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019. The image was first posted Friday by the website Big League Politics
  21. "Virginia governor's deputy Justin Fairfax denies assault claims". Bbc.com. February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  22. Vargas, Theresa. "Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax denies sex assault allegation from 2004". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved February 9, 2019.


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