The Light (newspaper)

The Light is a self-published, monthly British conspiracy theory newspaper founded by Darren Nesbitt (frequently under the pseudonym Darren Smith) on 27 September 2020,[1] which claims the COVID-19 pandemic was a hoax. The paper has a sister publication named The Irish Light.

For other uses, see The Light.
The Light
Founded27 September 2020 (2020-09-27)
LanguageEnglish
Websitethelightpaper.co.uk
Free online archivesYes

The paper has been criticised for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, antisemitic conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial.[11] It regularly prints articles written by conspiracy theorist Vernon Coleman,[1] and according to a review from Harvard Kennedy School "includes content that is aimed at prompting participation and activism amongst adherents of conspiracy theories, rather than simply presenting information".[12]

The company behind the paper was dissolved on 15 February 2021;[13] despite this, it still continues to publish.

Claims

The print publication regularly makes conspiratorial claims surrounding Bill Gates and world leaders, promotes climate change denial and claims vaccines are weaponized mind control devices.[1][14]

It has called for modern-day Nuremberg trials for journalists, repeatedly referenced conspiracy theories concerning Agenda 21 and the Great Reset, and criticised the COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom by comparing vaccination efforts to Nazi extermination camps.[1][15][10] The paper was also found to have spread false claims concerning vaccines, COVID-19 and COVID-19 death figures.[16][17][18][19]

The paper has printed articles by Holocaust denier John Hamer and recommended books by white supremacist Eustace Mullins.[10] It also defended radio host Graham Hart, who was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment after making antisemitic remarks on his radio show.[20][21] The paper also regularly references the far-right Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory, which has similar roots in antisemitism.[10]

The paper has also been criticised by the anti-racist group Hope not Hate for its support of the far-right by interviewing anti-Islam party politician Anne Marie Waters, printing articles co-authored by the English Democrats chair Robin Tilbrook and Heritage Party leader David Kurten, and promoting material by the leader of the Fascist group Patriotic Alternative Mark Collett.[10]

In September 2022, The Light shared an article written by far-right conspiracy theorist Paul Joseph Watson claiming that Lyudmyla Denisova, the former Ombudsman for Human Rights in Ukraine, had admitted to lying about the Russian military committing rape crimes in Ukraine. The disinformation analysis group Logically found that Denisova had only accepted her use of inappropriate language in describing the rape crimes, but had not admitted to lying about said crimes.[22]

In November 2022, The Irish Light ran a headline with the phrase 'Died Suddenly' connected to marketing efforts around the release of an independent anti-vaccine film of the same name. In this issue, the paper used the images of 42 deceased individuals, claiming they had died suddenly in Ireland due to being vaccinated. Upon investigation, none of the deaths were found to be due to vaccines and were instead found to be caused by incidents such as drowning, long-term illness, car accidents and other random events. The misuse of the names and images of the deceased individuals being used to promote anti-vaccine conspiracy theories was reported to have caused severe distress among family members of the bereaved.[23]

Distribution

The paper is purchased via private Facebook groups and Twitter contacts and then distributed by volunteers who are instructed to airdrop copies through letterboxes or abandon the paper in public spaces. Its distributers have been criticised for deliberately targeting teenagers and children.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]

After copies of the paper were distributed in Stroud, residents protested against the paper, stating: "...we are alarmed by The Light's use of the pandemic to push support for antisemitism, Holocaust denial and racist hate speech - as well as for denial of climate change, NHS-bashing, and other reactionary views."[3][34]

Siobhan Baillie, the MP for Stroud, called anti-vaccine misinformation "dangerous, damaging and disrespectful" and later raised concerns in Parliament, stating: "Will the secretary of state assist me in to reassure Stroud about the vaccines and encourage people not to share Covid information from unofficial sources to stop this dangerous, damaging and disrespectful behaviour."[35][36]

Simon Fell, the MP for Furness, said of the paper: "This is a 'paper' set up by a conspiracy theorist who makes a pretty penny from selling t-shirts about global conspiracies. The only advice I can give people is to wash their hands after popping it in the recycling bin. Last time I looked there was no shortage of toilet roll anymore and people had stopped stockpiling. Consequently I can't imagine the demand for this will be high."[37][38]

Neil O'Brien, MP for Market Harborough has also criticised the paper.[39] After being distributed in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria's Director of Public Health levied a similar criticism against its contents.[40][41]

References
  1. Waterson, Jim (27 November 2020). "How an anti-lockdown 'truthpaper' bypasses online factcheckers". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  2. Gourlay, Kris (1 March 2022). "Furious Edinburgh M&S shopper spots 'anti-vax' newspaper displayed in store". Edinburgh Live. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  3. Felton, James (29 January 2021). "Stroud residents challenge The Light's 'support for Holocaust Denial'". Stroud News & Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  4. Pritchett, Mark (29 January 2021). "Anti-vaccine paper 'pedals conspiracy theory madness'". Wellington Weekly News. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  5. "Covid-19 leaflets: How pandemic disinformation went offline". BBC News. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  6. Felton, James (30 September 2022). "Protest against controversial newspaper in Stroud". Stroud News & Journal. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  7. Derrick, Maya (11 January 2023). "Fury as anti-vax conspiracy newspaper delivered to Norwich homes". Norwich Evening News. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  8. Davies, Philippa (24 January 2023). "Conspiracy 'newspaper' being distributed around Sidmouth". Sidmouth Herald. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  9. Dacombe, Rod; Souter, Nicole; Westerlund, Lumi (17 September 2021). "Research note: Understanding offline Covid-19 conspiracy theories: A content analysis of The Light "truthpaper"". Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review. doi:10.37016/mr-2020-80.
  10. Lawrence, David (30 June 2022). "Turning Off "The Light": the conspiracist newspaper promoting the far right". Hope Not Hate. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  11. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
  12. Dacombe, Rod; Souter, Nicole; Westerlund, Lumi (17 September 2021). "Research note: Understanding offline Covid-19 conspiracy theories: A content analysis of The Light "truthpaper"". Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review. 2 (5). doi:10.37016/mr-2020-80. ISSN 2766-1652. S2CID 237613394. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  13. Felton, James (22 February 2021). "Company behind 'controversial newspaper' The Light dissolves". Stroud News and Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  14. Burgess, Sanya (12 November 2021). "From COVID to climate change: How green conspiracies about celebrities and lockdowns are spreading". Sky News. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  15. Waveney, Harry (8 August 2021). "Inside The Anti-Lockdown Movement: How America's Paranoid Conspiracy Culture Arrived In Wales". voice.wales. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  16. Rahman, Grace (20 July 2021). "Free paper repeats falsehoods on deaths following vaccination". Full Fact. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  17. Perrin, Isabella. "Council slams newspaper for spreading anti-Covid messages around Bracknell". Bracknell News. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  18. Bracken, Ali (1 August 2021). "Anti-vaccine paper pushes 'conspiracy propaganda'". Independent. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  19. "Pfizer documents do not reveal dangers of Covid-19 vaccine". Fact Check. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  20. "Why are people in Stroud handing out a paper that defends Holocaust denial and antisemitism?". Community Solidarity Stroud District. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  21. "The Light". Amplify Stroud. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  22. Kulkarni, Ankita (26 September 2022). "False: Former Ukrainian Human Rights Chief Lyudmila Denisova admitted to lying about the Russian military committing rape crimes in Ukraine". Logically. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  23. LaCapria, Kim (23 November 2022). "'Died Suddenly' and the 'Irish Light' -". TruthOrFiction.com. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  24. Buckley, Christine (3 July 2021). "Conspiracy theory newspaper found circulating in Cambs". CambridgeshireLive. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  25. Mills, Frankie (18 January 2021). "Anger as 'anti-vax' propaganda posted in Devon". DevonLive. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  26. "Council slams newspaper for spreading anti-Covid messages around Bracknell". Bracknell News. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  27. "'Pure garbage' anti-vax 'newspaper' with 'dangerous' stories posted through doors". Royal Borough Observer. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  28. Dacombe, Rod. "Conspiracy theories about the pandemic are spreading offline as well as through social media". The Conversation. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  29. Mills, Kelly-Ann; Tobin, Olivia (6 May 2021). "Covid 'rag' being posted through doors sparks fury with fake news about vaccines". mirror. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  30. "Totnes Mayor hits out at 'truth' paper". Dartmouth Chronicle. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  31. Burke, Darren (29 September 2021). "Anti-vaccine 'truthpaper' which says Covid is hoax given out on streets of Doncaster". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  32. Burke, Darren (7 October 2021). "Anti-vaxx, Covid-denying 'truthpaper' slammed for targeting teenagers in Doncaster". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  33. Burke, Darren (1 February 2022). "Fresh fury as Covid conspiracy paper on counters at Doncaster newsagents". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  34. "Protest against controversial newspaper in Stroud". Stroud News and Journal. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  35. Wilson, Kate (30 December 2020). "Stoud MP hits out at anti-vaxxers as county moves into Tier 4". GloucestershireLive. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  36. Young, Bradley (11 January 2021). "Anti-vaxxer defends Stroud stall after MP slams claims as 'utter rubbish'". Stroud News and Journal. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  37. "'Conspiracy theory' newspaper posted through letterboxes". The Mail. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  38. "'Demand won't be high' - Furness MP blasts anti-lockdown newspaper". The Mail. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  39. Richardson, Hannah (4 December 2021). "Conspiracy theory 'newspaper' distributed in Leicestershire". LeicestershireLive. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  40. "'Obvious hoax' - Newspaper posted to Barrow homes branded 'nonsense'". The Mail. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  41. "'Conspiracy theory' newspaper posted through letterboxes". The Mail. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.