Michigan family sues alt-right sites over fake news reports on Charlottesville attack

[SummerMadness]

Michigan family sues alt-right sites over fake news reports on Charlottesville attack

Joel Vangheluwe was nowhere near the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12, 2017.

He was at a wedding.

But that didn't stop numerous alt-right news outlets, blogs, public figures and others from identifying the Macomb County man -- and in some cases his father, Jerome Vangheluwe -- as the driver of a silver 2010 Dodge Challenger responsible for killing 32-year-old activist Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others.

 

[Hank77]

They must be kidding. They're Suing over that? Sheesh

 

[revanneosl]

Yes. It's called libel.

 

[Ringo84]

Good. Rake 'em over the coals. Alt-right Nazis certainly don't hesitate to game the legal system for their whims (not saying that this guy is gaming the system; only that turnabout is fair play).
Ringo

 

[Ada Lovelace]

They must be kidding. They're Suing over that? Sheesh

As the article explains:

The fallout, which included calls for the retaliatory killings of the Vangheluwes, illustrates how "fake news," whether published with malice or the product of sloppy, negligent reporting, can quickly proliferate, impacting public perception, and ultimately, the lives of individuals.
~
"After the defamatory information was posted on the Internet by GotNews and the other defendants, the Vangheluwes began receiving countless anonymous threats," according to the lawsuit. "Michigan State police were notified and the family was warned to leave their home.

Internet sleuths have caused virtual vigilantism, with mobs of people in dogged pursuit of destroying someone's life, and the ramifications are tangible. Even after the sleuths have been proven wrong, and the person they've claimed to be the villain is exonerated and shown to be their victim, there are some conspiracy theorists who continue with making threats and spreading falsehoods. And even if the sites that originally posted falsehoods issue retractions, rarely do the multitude of other sites and social media users who've written content based on that falsehood. When I was little a Sunday school teacher demonstrated how one lie can cause so much damage by filling up a glass pitcher with water, and then adding just one drop of food dye to it. All of it soon became colored, and could not be undone. Similarly, someone's reputation can be forever stained.

This reminds me of the anguish and fear the family of Sunil Tripathi was subjected to in 2013. Nearly five years later and his name still is associated with a horrendous terrorist attack that occurred after he was dead. Had a living person been subjected to that treatment, to having their life dissected in a butchering way online, it would have had a continued impact. Every employer would Google his name and find the accusations, as would many potential dates and friends.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Michigan family sues alt-right sites over fake news reports on Charlottesville attack

Vice media and Vice news aren't alt-right...they'r extremely liberal. They do have more money than these alt-right websites though... so that'll be interesting.

 

[Rion]

Huhuhu. If this goes through, the media tending to label conservatives and libertarians alt-right are going to be bled dry.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Vice media and Vice news aren't alt-right...they'r extremely liberal. They do have more money than these alt-right websites though... so that'll be interesting.

The defendant is Gavin Mcinnes, not Vice. McInnes founded it and left in 2008. He's not "extremely liberal". He seems like a typical alt-righter.

Gavin McInnes - Wikipedia
Gavin McInnes (@Gavin_McInnes) | Twitter

(btw: I'm fully aware of Rion's post immediately preceding mine)

 

[Ana the Ist]

The defendant is Gavin Mcinnes, not Vice. McInnes founded it and left in 2008. He's not "extremely liberal". He seems like a typical alt-righter.

Gavin McInnes - Wikipedia
Gavin McInnes (@Gavin_McInnes) | Twitter

(btw: I'm fully aware of Rion's post immediately preceding mine)

My mistake...thanks for the correction.

 

[iluvatar5150]

My mistake...thanks for the correction.

Yeah, I didn't expect that much of a divergence when I looked into. Has Vice always been as liberal as they are now?

 

[Ana the Ist]

Yeah, I didn't expect that much of a divergence when I looked into. Has Vice always been as liberal as they are now?

I only heard of them when they added a channel to my satellite service a couple years ago. As of now, they make liberals look conserative lol.

 

[Rion]

Yeah, I didn't expect that much of a divergence when I looked into. Has Vice always been as liberal as they are now?

I believe their abandonment of both attempts to be mostly neutral and journalistic ethics is why Tim Pool left.

 

[Hank77]

As the article explains:


Internet sleuths have caused virtual vigilantism, with mobs of people in dogged pursuit of destroying someone's life, and the ramifications are tangible. Even after the sleuths have been proven wrong, and the person they've claimed to be the villain is exonerated and shown to be their victim, there are some conspiracy theorists who continue with making threats and spreading falsehoods. And even if the sites that originally posted falsehoods issue retractions, rarely do the multitude of other sites and social media users who've written content based on that falsehood. When I was little a Sunday school teacher demonstrated how one lie can cause so much damage by filling up a glass pitcher with water, and then adding just one drop of food dye to it. All of it soon became colored, and could not be undone. Similarly, someone's reputation can be forever stained.

This reminds me of the anguish and fear the family of Sunil Tripathi was subjected to in 2013. Nearly five years later and his name still is associated with a horrendous terrorist attack that occurred after he was dead. Had a living person been subjected to that treatment, to having their life dissected in a butchering way online, it would have had a continued impact. Every employer would Google his name and find the accusations, as would many potential dates and friends.

I suppose you are at least partially correct. I just look at this particular case and think that within 24 hrs. media had corrected the misinformation. When googling Vangheluwe's name the headlines also make it clear that he was misidentified.
Maybe if they can prove that it was a deliberate act, rather than a mistake, in order to disseminate false information with an ulterior motive, they really do have a case worth the court's time and money.