October 29, 2024
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro is calling out The New York Times for allegedly working with left-wing advocacy group Media Matters for America to pressure YouTube into censoring conservative voices, particularly those critical of Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party. In a social media post shared Monday, Shapiro revealed a message from Times reporter Nico Grant, who indicated that the upcoming story on election-related misinformation on YouTube would rely heavily on Media Matters’ research to substantiate claims.
Shapiro claims the effort is intended to stifle conservative commentary in the lead-up to the 2024 election. “If you were wondering what the legacy media would plan for its October surprise, wonder no longer: it’s here,” Shapiro tweeted, suggesting this report is part of a coordinated attempt to muzzle conservatives on social media platforms.
Accusations Against Media Matters
Media Matters, founded in 2004 by Democratic operative David Brock, has built its reputation by targeting and challenging conservative media voices. In recent years, it has led pressure campaigns, often amplifying “misinformation” claims about prominent conservatives to trigger demonetization or removal from social media. Shapiro warned that his platform might be their latest target, with The New York Times serving as a credible media vehicle to amplify the group’s findings.
In his message to Shapiro, Grant explained that the article would highlight a selection of YouTube content that Media Matters identified as containing “election misinformation.” Shapiro shared screenshots of the message, in which the reporter specified that 286 videos between May and August were flagged by Media Matters for allegedly spreading “debunked” or unsubstantiated claims. One clip flagged from Shapiro’s channel included comments in which Shapiro discusses the 2020 election, stating that “Your party rigged many of the voting rules in advance of the election in order to ensure an extraordinary number of mail-in ballots, ballot harvesting…”
Shapiro argued that calling such statements “misinformation” misrepresents his position, as he has publicly acknowledged Joe Biden’s election victory while questioning certain 2020 rule changes. In a strong response, he accused The Times and Media Matters of seeking to label any criticism of the 2020 election as misinformation to suppress conservative viewpoints. “This isn’t about ‘election misinformation,’” he wrote, asserting that these tactics represent an attack on free speech.
Legacy Media and Big Tech’s 2020 Interference: The New York Post Censorship
Shapiro also connected the current campaign to censor conservatives on YouTube with Big Tech’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. Just weeks before the 2020 election, The New York Post published an article detailing alleged connections between Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings and his father, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. The story, however, was swiftly suppressed across major platforms, with Twitter locking The New York Post’s account and blocking users from sharing the article. Facebook also limited its visibility pending “fact-checking,” which critics argue served as a thinly veiled effort to protect Biden’s campaign from potential fallout.
“The media and Big Tech shut down dissemination of the Hunter Biden laptop story, claiming it was ‘Russian disinformation,’” Shapiro pointed out, adding that these actions were later proven baseless. A bipartisan group of former intelligence officials initially framed the story as likely misinformation from Russia, a narrative widely promoted by mainstream media outlets despite later confirmation of the laptop’s authenticity. The incident became a flashpoint for conservative accusations of Big Tech interference, with conservatives who shared the story reporting instances of shadowbanning, demonetization, and even platform suspension.
Shapiro accused platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube of actively siding with Democrats in the lead-up to the election by suppressing negative stories about the Biden family while intensifying scrutiny on conservative content. “If it is ‘election misinformation’ to point out the ‘rigging’ of the voting rules for election 2020, resulting in massive mail-in voting and ballot harvesting, then the NYT might want to talk to…the NYT and CBS News, for starters,” he wrote, referencing The Times’ own prior reporting on the topic of election rule changes.
Shadowbanning and Censorship of Conservative Voices
As Shapiro sees it, Media Matters and The New York Times are now using the “misinformation” label to conduct similar efforts in 2024, this time targeting conservative YouTube channels critical of Kamala Harris or Democratic positions. Shapiro noted that after The New York Post story was censored, many conservative figures observed a sharp decline in their social media reach and engagement. Several well-known conservative commentators have reported shadowbanning and demonetization on YouTube, even for content not directly related to election commentary, leading some to allege a coordinated effort by Big Tech and left-leaning advocacy groups to sideline opposing voices.
The potential impact of these actions on the upcoming election is substantial, Shapiro argued, particularly if The New York Times article succeeds in further limiting the reach of conservative voices on YouTube. By applying pressure to YouTube through legacy media, Shapiro said, “they are attempting to silence anyone who dares speak against Kamala Harris or the Democratic narrative.”
Free Speech and Constitutional Concerns
Shapiro defended his right to express political opinions, even if they challenge prevailing narratives about election integrity, as constitutionally protected free speech. “Even if someone does think Joe Biden didn’t win the election, that is still protected speech under the First Amendment,” he asserted. He believes the current campaign to label criticism of election processes as “misinformation” creates a chilling effect on open political discourse, particularly for those on the right.
David Schoen, Shapiro’s attorney, has stated that these efforts reflect an orchestrated move to punish conservative viewpoints by portraying them as dangerous misinformation. “Media Matters is a radical left-wing organization whose sole purpose is destroying conservative media,” Shapiro wrote. In a separate instance, billionaire Elon Musk echoed these concerns, referring to Media Matters as an “evil propaganda machine” for its role in censoring right-wing voices, as reported by Fox News Digital.
With the 2024 election around the corner, Shapiro expressed fears that Big Tech’s selective enforcement of “misinformation” standards could distort public debate. He shared what he described as his “official comment” to The Times reporter, which bluntly read, “Here’s my comment: kindly, go f*ck yourself.”
Implications for the 2024 Election
As political tensions heat up, conservatives like Shapiro argue that Media Matters and The New York Times are once again positioning themselves as gatekeepers of acceptable discourse. If platforms like YouTube respond to pressure by censoring critical conservative commentary, Shapiro suggests that Big Tech will once more sway the political narrative.
By pointing to previous Big Tech suppression of conservative views, particularly around the Hunter Biden story, Shapiro’s critique underscores broader concerns within conservative circles about biased censorship. For Shapiro and his followers, these actions reflect a sustained attempt to limit free speech and unfairly skew the political playing field.
