Rumor Control
To know the truth, know all sides of the story
"Is Moms for Liberty banning LGBTQ representation?"
posted January 30th, 2024
Yet another rumor circulating is that Moms for Liberty is "banning" LGBTQ representation.
Those who simply believe what they're told without thinking for themselves are easily misled by those who deal in rumors and misinformation.
Below is a LGBTQIA+ Book List created by Scholastic Books. At least half of these titles (highlighted) are currently available in Wilson County Schools. None of these titles have been flagged for sexually explicit content.
Moms for Liberty has made no effort to have these titles removed from school libraries, and has no plans to do so.
Rumor Control on Green Hill High School Club
posted January 30th, 2024
Once again, false narratives are circulating in the Green Hill community.
These harmful rumors are misinforming members of the community, generating widespread misunderstandings and unnecessary friction.
They’re also leading to threats and harassment against a local mother.
In a nutshell, the false rumor is this: that a member of Moms for Liberty targeted a Green Hill High School club and was hoping to shut it down.
That is false.
It is not the case.
Yet again, some individuals seem determined to make every effort to smear and slander anyone they disagree with. Instead of reasoned discussion and respectful dialogue in an environment of mutual trust and sanity, they imagine diabolical motives where none exist, resort to name-calling, and adopt tactics of character-assassination.
To be clear: Moms for Liberty has never made any effort to shut down any Green Hill High School student group.
Those who assume that Moms for Liberty has made efforts along these lines are misinformed and entirely mistaken.
Legitimate discussions are taking place, nation-wide, about the roles and rights of parents and teachers in a student’s life. Do parents have a right to know what’s happening with their child at school? Do schools have a right to keep secrets from parents? Should students be allowed to participate in school activities without their parents’ consent?
These can be difficult questions. The specific situations they affect can be incredibly challenging and sensitive. We at Moms for Liberty do have opinions on these matters. For example, we do believe that parents have the right to know what is happening with their children at school.
But that doesn’t mean we have ever tried to silence the other side of the discussion or shut down any legitimate student club.
What makes difficult topics such as these more difficult is the lightning-fast spread of misinformation and unfounded rumors spread by those who repeatedly seem to assume the worst in others. This applies especially when the result is Wilson County mothers being harassed and even threatened with violence.
Moms for Liberty believes in respectful dialogue and healthy discussion, especially when difficult topics like these are involved. Those who choose to spread rumors and dangerous misinformation often don’t respond in good faith. In doing so, they generate the kind of mistrust and friction they claim to denounce. And further, they act as if they have something to hide.
Rumor Control on the WKRN News Piece
posted December 30th, 2023
WKRN produced a segment in late 2023 on the sexually explicit book debate in Wilson County. It offers a compelling case study in bias in media.
Stories are often judged to be deceptive or misleading based solely on facts, and whether certain facts are simply accurate or not.
Yet this approach often ignores other highly significant factors: the selection of facts, the tone of the piece, how the story is framed, and others.
Case in point: compare the WKRN 2+-minute news segment and the 24+ minute full interview.
For example, the news segment misleadingly frames the issue as a false expose. The opening lines describe a “public records request” that “exposed who exactly is behind the book challenges in Wilson County” – as if the matter had been hidden or was a secret. (It wasn’t.) It further highlights specific details that seem intended to discredit the effort to keep sexually explicit material away from minors in public schools by focusing on who does or doesn’t have children in schools. (The idea seems to be that while everyone’s tax dollars are welcome in schools – even mandatory – everyone’s input on how those tax dollars should be spent is not. This position is implicit but never addressed openly.)
Yet the heart of the story and the key issue – is sexually explicit material actually being offered to children in public schools? – is hardly mentioned, and is essentially brushed aside.
Yet another example: The Moms for Liberty organization could be characterized as “an organization of moms who want to protect their children.” Instead, the segment decided to quote a slanderous mischaracterization from the discredited and extreme leftist radical hate group, the Southern Policy Law Center. WKRN erroneously assumes and implies that the radical opinions of the SPLC are credible while pretending not to take sides.
Bias is exposed by exposing the full story and highlighting all sides of a discussion. Toward this aim, we invite readers to judge for themselves. The WKRN article and segment are here. The full, unedited interview, is here.
Comparing the two, and the very different impressions they leave, can be illuminating.
In a time when media outlets are often brazenly biased while pretending to be objective, uncovering the real “story behind the story” can be a challenge.