Conservative Vermont website True North Reports published a video with some shocking claims Monday night under the headline “Citizen journalists visit coronavirus hospitals, find no ill patients or crowds awaiting testing.”
True North bills itself as “The other side of Vermont’s News,” and this was certainly another side. The 13-minute video features a voiceover by a YouTube conspiracy theorist who calls herself Dana Ashlie. She cheerfully announces at the top of the video, while strolling outdoors and smacking a ball into a baseball mitt, that citizens have scurried around to investigate the mainstream media’s hoopla about people lining up for coronavirus tests and treatment.
Well, game on. Cue the scenes that question media accounts.
“People, look at the testing centers,” an unidentified woman says as her camera spans a makeshift building somewhere with no people and little more than a few empty chairs. “This is where they’re telling you the testing is going on in. Where’s the testing?” Her voice becomes urgent. “They’re empty. They’re abandoned, people. There is no testing going on.”
For the record, here’s the testing in Vermont:
That takes place in the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory. It’s in this building in Colchester:
Some samples, but not all, are taken from people who drive up to the makeshift testing center at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction.
Running the video was a curious choice for True North. It’s not Vermont-focused, for one thing. But more to the point, its maker’s credibility has been debunked.
Health Feedback, a nonprofit organization that checks the veracity of public accounts, noted in February that another claim of Ashlie’s — that 5G technology, and not a virus, caused the health crisis — is simply not true. A 30-second investigation involving a Google search leads to a body of questionable claims she’s made.
Various social media platforms have announced crackdowns on coronavirus disinformation. So why did True North run Ashlie’s piece? We emailed them Thursday afternoon to ask, and so far they haven’t responded.
The website has been bankrolled by Burlington heiress Lenore Broughton, who has been a major Republican donor in Vermont. It generally hosts much tamer fare by conservative Vermonters. Current commentaries on the site include ones attributed to GOP lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Meg Hansen, Vermont Republican Party chair Deb Billado and Rep. Anne Donahue (R-Northfield). Thursday’s lead headline: “Economy collapsing under Gov. Scott, weekly jobless claims soar 286 percent.”
Seven Days asked the Vermont Department of Health for comment on the video, and spokesman Ben Truman sent this statement:
Everyone — regardless of their political or philosophical predilections – owes it to themselves, and to their families and loved ones, as well as to their communities, to seek out science-based information and guidance to inform their decisions. Lives are very much at stake.
Whatever their information source, limiting spread of the virus relies on people doing the painful but critical actions like following stay-at-home orders. We strongly encourage people to talk with their doctors if they have symptoms, and to stay informed through sites like healthvermont.gov to protect themselves and everyone around them.
Boom. Game over.
Clarification, March 3, 2020: Following publication of this story, Rep. Donohue noted that she is not a commentator for True North Reports. Rather, she said, the site ran her constituent updates as commentaries. Likewise, Meg Hansen said her piece on the site had been submitted to VTDigger.org.
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There is no end to Right Wing Trump-style stupidity.
If you can stomach it, read the comments on the TNR site for that story. It shows the general depravity of the conspiracy minded wingnuts.
Note that those wingnuts submit numerous comments here and over at VT Digger. Both of you media operations lend them your credibility by hosting their comments. They game the ‘likes/dislikes,’ and it seems reasonable to believe that they can also generate clicks (valuable to your marketing & sales departments) that then influence the type of content produced at both media operations.
Seven Days: Please ask Mathew Roy to substantiate his report that Dana Ashlie claimed “…that 5G technology, and not a virus, caused the health crisis”. I can’t find a reference to Ashlie’s claim anywhere. Your referenced link to Health Feedback doesn’t reference Ashlie at all. In fact, the only reference I can find of Ashlie’s 5G warnings first published Oct. 29, 2018, long before the CoronaVirus was recognized, and the video had nothing to do with the CoronaVirus outbreak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9bdU_uw2D…
Everyone knows Coronavirus in Vermont comes from all the New Yorkers and Massholes who fled here. It’s been a delight to watch the media applaud them and attack the locals as always.
People in Vermont think they’re free, but the truth is the North Country is a back up country club for the rich, and they laugh as they rule us.
Just follow the liberals they will lead you right over the cliff. Just give all your stuff to comrade Sanders, Leahy, and little boy Welch. After all the 3 made a killing on EB-5 and they gave themselves raises in Congress
The left wings are the greedy stupid ones.
Meeting on 5G in VT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-CZCj1xQtc&t=342s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtmycQXZzSg
The rightwing trolls will stop at nothing to support their delusions
To the best of my knowledge, Dana Ashlies video, allegedly discussing the 5G and Coronavirus relationship, has been censored by YouTube. But there is this review of the Ashlie video, with clips from it. As anyone who takes the time to watch the review, Ashlies discussion is shown to be referencing various, debatable, and some admittedly speculative 5G effects on Oxygen absorption and Hemoglobin in the human body.
https://theconsciousresistance.com/the-spe…
But Ashlies discussion focuses on the Epstein-Barr virus genome, not the Coronavirus specifically. And while the Coronavirus reference may be intended implicitly, it isnt an overwhelmingly definitive claim. And, apparently, 5G is a concern for reasonable consideration.
The question is, of course, what does Ashlies 5G discussion have to do with the various clips in the TNR published video showing the less-than-overwhelming flows of Coronavirus patients at hospitals and test sites around the country? Where are the people?
If Seven Days intent is to discredit TNR because it published the Ashlie video, a little introspection is in order. By all means, point out the weaknesses in Ashlies 5G claims. But Seven Days appears to be practicing the same misinformation campaign its accusing TNR of doing. Wouldnt it be better for Seven Days to publish actual reports showing the overwhelming patient volume?
After all, when CBS News tries to pass photos of an ICU in Italy, as an ICU in NYC, whats the difference in CBSs misinformation criteria? And why is Seven Days curious choice of publishing an undated photo of two healthcare workers (allegedly testing coronavirus samples) implicitly, if not overtly, attempting to discredit the TNR published video in the same way?
https://www.foxnews.com/media/cbs-news-adm…
The bigger story here: Wheres the Journalism?
Hoo boy, someone took the time to water down the attack on TNR and try to turn the tables on 7 Days. Priceless.
Hello,
I note in this article, you state that,
“Current commentators on the site include GOP lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Meg Hansen, Vermont Republican Party chair Deb Billado and Rep. Anne Donahue (R-Northfield).”
I have never submitted to, or participated as, a commentator on True North, and I am requesting a correction to this article.
I am aware that at times some of my bi-weekly legislative updates emailed directly to constituents have been copied by various other organizations. If this occurred with a recent update of mine (I am not aware of it, one way or the other), it was not through a submission from me, and I do not think that would constitute my being a “commentator” — a description which implies an active, intentional contributor.
Thank you,
Rep. Anne Donahue
She never claimed that 5G causes coronavirus. I sincerely wonder why you hired Matthew Roy. He is a disgrace to journalism.
This is not isolated to Vermont. Conservatives around the country are filming hospitals and trying to make a (bogus) case that there are no patients. Lying is what they do best
https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/op…
The video in question speaks for itself , it showed the media is completely fabricating the severity of the issue, saying New York hospitals are like WARZONES, yet when people go look they are empty, no line ups, no panic, ambulances parked up by the dozen because they have nothing to do. No one is saying there isnt a virus, but the main stream media is blowing it way out of proportion creating panic , fear and essentially a form of martial law. If you like being lied too and having your rights removed by all means , stick to themainstream media.
This article originally read, “Current commentators on the site include GOP lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Meg Hansen, Vermont Republican Party chair Deb Billado and Rep. Anne Donahue (R-Northfield).”
I am not a “commentator” for True North Reports. Please add my name to the correction you issued to reflect accuracy.
This article now states, “Current commentaries on the site include ones attributed to GOP lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Meg Hansen, Vermont Republican Party chair Deb Billado and Rep. Anne Donahue (R-Northfield).”
I do not see an editor’s note acknowledging this subtle but not inconsequential change in wording.
I wrote an article titled, “Flattening the Curve by Spiking Health Resources,” specifically for VTDigger. https://vtdigger.org/2020/03/31/meg-hansen-flattening-the-curve-by-spiking-health-resources. I did not submit this article to True North Reports or any other media outlet.
Thank you,
Meg Hansen
Same conspiracy people that believe in that the Government plan of 911 attacks
As if Seven Days is a bastion of journalistic integrity. Your newspaper is so far left it would make Joseph Stalin proud.
Man is the socialist leftwing fools out in droves on here…
“The left wings are the greedy stupid ones.”
“Man is the socialist leftwing fools out in droves on here…”
Well, if there’s one area where the Trumpers have us beat hands down, it’s grammar!
@EGO
BLESS YOU !!!!
Meg Hansen, we’ve made the change you requested to note that you submitted your piece to VTDigger.org.
Interesting to me is the constant comment by “news” sources of “that has been debunked” . I always question “debunked by whom?” As to the “science” behind the 5 G roll-out. There is none! Anyone who follows the news knows that the industry, in testifying before congress, has a admitted that there are no studies concerning the safety of 5G! As to the accuracy of the Dana Ashlie story? Who knows? We certainly cannot wholeheartedly accept the industries claims without scientific proof. We can neither accept the Anecdotal offerings of Dana Ashlie. We have to ask. If there are no scientific studies as to the safety of 5G, then why not?
I haven’t seen any studies that show LED light bulbs don’t cause COVID 19!