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Here's an example of local TV ( @WNEP, an ABC affiliate in Scranton, PA) getting duped into covering a QAnon event as a "just folks" demonstration against human trafficking. These events happened all over the country today. https://www.wnep.com/video/news/local/wayne-county/human-trafficking-protest-wayne-county/523-50c333cf-d354-47fd-b00f-818008fe74c3
Another local TV station ( @WOODTV in Grand Rapids, MI, an NBC affiliate) duped into covering a QAnon event as "people gather to protest human trafficking." https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/people-gather-to-protest-human-trafficking-in-gr/
Maybe check if your local station did the same. Marches like these all over the country today.
Maybe check if your local station did the same. Marches like these all over the country today.
Some context from NBC reporters who have been tracking it: QAnon looms behind nationwide rallies and Save the Children hashtags. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/qanon-looms-behind-nationwide-rallies-viral-hashtags-n1237722 "Local media coverage of the events has been widespread and credulous, almost never mentioning the events' QAnon connections."
Via @CathyRoberts61 comes another example of a QAnon event in stealth form: a "save our children" rally. This one includes a sign explaining that COVID is a hoax, saving children from pedofiles is the real problem.
https://wnyt.com/albany-new-york-news/save-our-children-rally-held-in-albany/5835927/ @WNYT, an NBC affiliate in Albany, NY.
https://wnyt.com/albany-new-york-news/save-our-children-rally-held-in-albany/5835927/ @WNYT, an NBC affiliate in Albany, NY.
Another credulous write-up. This one from @WTOV9 in Steubenville, Ohio. It helpfully notes that "more than 200 'Save The Children' events took place across the country on Saturday." The station seems completely clueless that these are QAnon events. https://wtov9.com/news/local/dozens-march-in-belmont-co-protecting-our-children-event
Via @LisaOffutt comes one from WMBD-TV, CBS affiliate in Peoria, IL (owned by Nexstar.) Headline: "Dozens of Peoria community members march to ‘Save Our Children.'" https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/local-news/dozens-of-peoria-community-members-march-to-save-our-children/ Reported with no awareness these are QAnon events. There's even a hashtag Q visible here.
"The thousands of new members getting sucked into QAnon though Saturday’s “Freedom for the Children' rallies or the hijacked #SaveTheChildren hashtag will be a ready-made army," writes @Will_Bunch in his column on the marches that made it into local news. https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/qanon-freedom-for-the-children-rallies-conspiracy-theory-trump-20200823.html
Not sure why, but this one via @directorrector is the saddest to me. "Local Event Draws Attention To Sex Trafficking." It's from a community news site in Kosciusko County, Indiana. http://inkfreenews.com/2020/08/22/local-event-draws-attention-to-sex-trafficking/
Notice the web address pointing to a QAnon page.
Notice the web address pointing to a QAnon page.
This thread on local news sites covering QAnon marches without describing them as such has suffered its first take down.
WNYT in Albany, NY, didn't like what it saw. Not surprising since one sign in their clip helpfully explained that COVID is just a hoax. Hat tip,
@MMR_MattRya
WNYT in Albany, NY, didn't like what it saw. Not surprising since one sign in their clip helpfully explained that COVID is just a hoax. Hat tip,
@MMR_MattRya
From two weeks ago, when a similar wave of QAnon events disguised as save-our-kids rallies drew credulous local coverage. @WSAV is owned by NexStar. https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/crowd-raises-awareness-for-missing-exploited-children-at-save-the-children-march-in-savannah/ The pic shows how obvious the ploy is. COVID isn't real. Child trafficking is. Next stop on that bus is Q.
